ROME — Valentino Garavani, the Italian fashion designer whose name became shorthand for high glamour — from “Valentino red” gowns to impeccably tailored eveningwear — has died aged 93, his foundation announced on Monday. He “peacefully passed away” at his residence in Rome, surrounded by family, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The foundation said arrangements were being made for the public to pay their respects, with plans for him to lie in state in central Rome ahead of a funeral service later this week.
Born in northern Italy, Garavani rose from an atelier-trained designer into one of fashion’s defining figures of the postwar era. He established his couture house in Rome and built a client list that came to read like a who’s-who of 20th-century celebrity and society, with devotees drawn to his clean lines, refined embellishment and a signature palette anchored by the vivid hue that became known globally as “Valentino red.”
His career took shape alongside Giancarlo Giammetti, his longtime business partner, who helped transform the label from a Roman couture address into a global luxury brand. The duo’s partnership became central to Valentino’s expansion into international markets and its enduring status in the fashion system.
Over decades, Valentino’s designs became red-carpet fixtures and a staple of elite wardrobes, spanning classic couture silhouettes and precision-cut suits. In retirement, his legacy continued through the fashion house that bears his name, even as creative leadership shifted through successive eras.
In recent years, the brand has been steered by new creative direction amid wider industry churn: Alessandro Michele was appointed creative director in 2024 after Pierpaolo Piccioli’s departure.
Tributes began pouring in from politics and the fashion world within hours of the announcement, with admirers describing Garavani as a symbol of Italian elegance and craftsmanship and crediting him with shaping a vision of luxury defined by discipline, silhouette and polish.
