Valentino Garavani dies at 93, foundation says
Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian designer known for high-glamour gowns and the trademark shade of “Valentino red,” died Monday at age 93, according to his Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation.
The foundation said in a statement posted on social media that he died at his Rome residence but did not mention the cause.
“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the foundation said in the statement, alongside tributes that emphasized his influence beyond fashion shows and into private lives.
Garavani, who was universally known by his first name, was a staple for royals and movie stars across decades. The Associated Press cited clients ranging from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan, describing him as someone they associated with making them “look and feel their best.”
Alessandro Michele, the current creative director of the Valentino fashion house, wrote in an Instagram post that he continues to feel Valentino’s “gaze” as he works on the next collection. Michele said the next collection will be presented March 12 in Rome, departing from the usual venue of Paris, and remembered Garavani as “a man who expanded the limits of the possible,” adding that he had “a rare delicacy, with a silent rigor and a limitless love for beauty.”
Other tributes came from Valentino’s successors and public figures. Pierpaolo Piccioli, described as another successor at the label, placed a broken heart emoji under the death announcement. Cindy Crawford wrote that she was “heartbroken,” and called Valentino “a true master of his craft,” while Donatella Versace posted two photos and said “he will forever be remembered for his art.”
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni remembered Valentino as “an indisputable maestro of eternal style and elegance of Italian high fashion.” The AP described him as someone who “made precious few fashion faux pas” during a career that stretched from his early days in Rome in the 1960s through his retirement in 2008.
On the red carpet, Valentino’s designs became closely associated with major awards ceremonies. The AP said Julia Roberts wore a vintage black and white column by Valentino when she accepted the best actress Oscar in 2001, and that Cate Blanchett wore a one-shouldered butter-yellow silk Valentino number when she won the best supporting actress Oscar in 2005.
Beyond awards gowns, the AP said Valentino was also behind the long-sleeved lace dress Jacqueline Kennedy wore for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis in 1968, and that Kennedy and the designer were close friends for decades. It also described Garavani’s style as built on feminine embellishments such as bows, ruffles, lace and embroidery.
Valentino maintained an atelier in Rome while unveiling collections mostly in Paris, and he spoke French with his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti. In a 2007 RTL television interview, the AP reported Valentino saying, “I know what women want,” and “They want to be beautiful.” In the same interview, he said, “When I see somebody and unfortunately she’s relaxed and running around in jogging trousers and without any makeup … I feel very sorry,” and described women as “like a beautiful, beautiful flower bouquet” who, he said, “has always to be sensational.”
Valentino was born in the northern Italian town of Voghera on May 11, 1932. After studying fashion in Milan and Paris, he worked for established Paris-based designers including Jean Desses and Guy Laroche before founding his own house in Rome on Via Condotti in 1959, according to the AP. The AP said business operations were handled by Giammetti while Valentino built a client base.
The AP said the brand expanded over time to include ready-to-wear, menswear and accessories, and that Valentino and Giammetti sold the label to an Italian holding company for an estimated $300 million in 1998, with Valentino remaining in a design role for another decade. It said he retired in 2008, was replaced briefly, and later creative direction moved through a series of successors including Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, before Michele took over and revived Gucci’s stars, according to the AP.
Valentino is owned by Qatar’s Mayhoola, which controls a 70% stake, and the French luxury conglomerate Kering, which owns 30%, with an option for Kering to take full control in 2028 or 2029. The AP said Richard Bellini was named CEO last September. The AP reported that a public viewing will be held at the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation on Wednesday and Thursday, and that a funeral will be held Friday at the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in central Rome.