Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, whose signature red gowns and high-glamour aesthetic defined elegance for generations of royals and celebrities, died Monday at age 93 in Rome. A two-day public viewing of the legendary designer began Wednesday at his foundation’s headquarters in Piazza Mignanelli, steps away from the Spanish Steps, before his funeral Friday at the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
Valentino’s nearly 50-year career built an empire of design that influenced fashion for half a century. His death marks the end of an era for a figure who remained committed to Rome despite showcasing his collections in Paris.
Hundreds mourn fashion legend as Valentino viewed in Rome
Hundreds of fashion celebrities, authorities, and Roman citizens lined up Wednesday at the foundation headquarters of Valentino Garavani to pay respects to the man who shaped decades of Italian elegance. Mourners waited in line to spend a few moments before his coffin, adorned with a single red rose and surrounded by white flowers.
“Everything he touched became beautiful,” said Alba Armillei, a hairdresser who worked for Valentino for 14 years.
The public viewing continues through Thursday before Valentino’s funeral Friday at the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. The designer, who died Monday at age 93 in Rome, founded his atelier on the city’s central Via Condotti in 1959—a location he maintained throughout his career even as he unveiled his collections in Paris.
A nearly 50-year career defining red-carpet elegance
Valentino Garavani spanned his career from the 1960s through his retirement in 2008. His designs made him the go-to choice for the world’s most prominent women—royals, first ladies, and film stars—who felt he always made them look and feel their best.
Julia Roberts wore a vintage black and white Valentino column gown when she accepted her best actress Oscar in 2001. Cate Blanchett appeared in a one-shouldered butter-yellow silk Valentino when she won best supporting actress in 2005.
Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Queen Rania of Jordan, and countless others defined their public images in his creations. His trademark shade of red became synonymous with his name and with the concept of Italian elegance itself.
The signature red and the legacy
Windows of the central Valentino store were covered with black and his famous declaration: “I love beauty. It is not my fault.”
Never one for edginess or statement-making, Valentino’s aesthetic remained rooted in sumptuous simplicity and glamour. That consistency—the refusal to chase trends—became his distinguishing mark across five decades.
Alessandro Michele, the current creative director of the Valentino fashion house, told reporters before paying his final respects that the Maestro would be irreplaceable. “He’s been a great example of life,” Michele said. “He came from afar and built something immense.”
Dancer Eleonora Abbagnato recalled the first Valentino gown created for her at the Vienna Opera. “True elegance, the red, the emotions and effect that he created,” she said.
Rome mourns one of its own
Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri hailed Valentino as one of “Italy’s most luminous and beloved figures,” underlining the designer’s deep connection to the Italian capital. Alba Verga, in her red Valentino coat, remembered him as “the biggest, most immense forever.”
“He made us dream,” Verga said. “His dresses for me were sculptures, works of art, but above all dreams and through his dresses, I always dreamed.”
Two fawn-colored pugs—his beloved companions—sat on either side of his coffin during the viewing, surrounded by mourners who had traveled to Rome to say goodbye to the designer who had defined their understanding of beauty for half a century.