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Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian decorator whose high-glamour gowns — often successful his trademark shadiness of “Valentino red” — were manner amusement staples for astir fractional a century, has died astatine location successful Rome, his instauration announced connected Monday (January 19, 2026). He was 93.
“Valentino Garavani was not lone a changeless usher and inspiration for each of us, but a existent root of light, creativity and vision," the instauration said successful a connection posted connected societal media.
His assemblage volition repose astatine the foundation's office successful Rome connected Wednesday (January 21) and Thursday (January 22). The ceremonial volition beryllium held connected Friday (January 23) astatine the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri successful Rome's Piazza della Repubblica.
Universally known by his archetypal name, Valentino was adored by generations of royals, archetypal ladies and movie stars, from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan, who swore the decorator ever made them look and consciousness their best.
“I cognize what women want,” helium erstwhile remarked. “They privation to beryllium beautiful.”
Never 1 for edginess oregon connection dressing, Valentino made precious fewer manner faux-pas passim his astir half-century-long career, which stretched from his aboriginal days successful Rome successful the 1960s done to his status successful 2008.
His fail-safe designs made Valentino the king of the reddish carpet, the go-to antheral for A-listers' awards ceremonial needs. His sumptuous gowns person graced countless Academy Awards, notably successful 2001, erstwhile Ms. Roberts wore a vintage achromatic and achromatic file to judge her champion histrion statue.
Cate Blanchett besides wore Valentino — a one-shouldered fig successful butter-yellow silk — erstwhile she won the Oscar for champion supporting histrion successful 2004.
Valentino was besides down the long-sleeved lace formal Jacqueline Kennedy wore for her wedding to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis successful 1968.
Kennedy and Valentino were adjacent friends for decades, and for a spell the one-time U.S. First Lady wore astir exclusively Valentino.
He was besides adjacent to Diana, Princess of Wales, who often donned his sumptuous gowns.
Beyond his signature orange-tinged shadiness of red, different Valentino trademarks included bows, ruffles, lace and embroidery; successful short, feminine, flirty embellishments that added to the dresses' quality and hence to that of the wearers.
Perpetually tanned and ever impeccably dressed, Valentino shared the manner of his jet-set patrons. In summation to his 152-foot yacht and an creation postulation including works by Picasso and Miro, the couturier owned a 17th-century chateau adjacent Paris with a plot said to boast much than a cardinal roses.
Valentino and his longtime spouse Giancarlo Giammetti flitted among their homes — which besides included places successful New York, London, Rome, Capri and Gstaad, Switzerland — travelling with their battalion of pugs. The brace regularly received A-list friends and patrons, including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow.
“When I spot idiosyncratic and unluckily she's relaxed and moving astir successful jogging trousers and without immoderate constitution ... I consciousness precise sorry,” the decorator told RTL television successful a 2007 interview.
“For me, pistillate is similar a beautiful, beauteous angiosperm bouquet. She has ever to beryllium sensational, ever to please, ever to beryllium perfect, ever to delight the husband, the lover, everybody. Because we are calved to amusement ourselves ever astatine our best.”
Valentino was calved into a well-off household successful the bluish Italian municipality of Voghera connected May 11, 1932. He said it was his puerility emotion of cinema that acceptable him down the manner path.
“I was brainsick for metallic screen, I was brainsick for beauty, to spot each those movie stars being sensation, good dressed, being ever perfect,” helium explained successful the 2007 tv interview.
After studying manner successful Milan and Paris, helium spent overmuch of the 1950s moving for established Paris-based decorator Jean Desses and aboriginal Guy Laroche earlier striking retired connected his own. He founded the location of Valentino connected Rome's Via Condotti successful 1959.
From the beginning, Giammetti was by his side, handling the concern facet portion Valentino utilized his earthy charm to physique a lawsuit basal among the world's affluent and fabulous.
After immoderate aboriginal fiscal setbacks — Valentino's tastes were ever lavish, and the institution spent with wantonness — the marque took off.
Early fans included Italian surface sirens Gina Lollobrigida and Sophia Loren, arsenic good arsenic Hollywood stars Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn. Legendary American Vogue editor-in-chief Diana Vreeland besides took the young decorator nether her wing.
Over the years, Valentino's empire expanded arsenic the decorator added ready-to-wear, menswear and accessories lines to his stable. Valentino and Giammetti sold the statement to an Italian holding institution for an estimated $300 cardinal successful 1998. Valentino would stay successful a plan relation for different decade.
In 2007, the couturier feted his 45th day successful manner with a 3-day-long blowout successful Rome, capped with a expansive shot successful the Villa Borghese gallery.
Valentino retired successful 2008 and was concisely replaced by chap Italian Alessandra Facchinetti, who had stepped into Tom Ford's shoes astatine Gucci earlier being sacked aft 2 seasons.
Ms. Facchinetti's tenure astatine Valentino proved arsenic short. As aboriginal arsenic her archetypal amusement for the label, rumours swirled that she was already connected her mode out, and conscionable astir 1 twelvemonth aft she was hired, Facchinetti was so replaced by 2 longtime accessories designers astatine the brand, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli.
Ms. Chiuri near to helm Dior successful 2016, and Mr. Piccioli continued to pb the location done a aureate play that drew connected the motorboat of the Rockstud pump with Ms. Chiuri and his ain signature colour, a shadiness of fuchsia called Pink PP. He near the location successful 2024, aboriginal joining Balenciaga, and has been replaced by Alessandro Michele, who revived Gucci's stars with romantic, genderless styles.
Valentino is owned by Qatar's Mayhoola, which controls a 70% stake, and the French luxury conglomerate Kering, which owns 30% with an enactment to instrumentality afloat power successful 2028 oregon 2029. Richard Bellini was named CEO past September.
Valentino has been the taxable of respective retrospectives, including 1 astatine the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, which is housed successful a helping of Paris' Louvre Museum. He was besides the taxable of a deed 2008 documentary, “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” that chronicled the extremity of his vocation successful fashion.
In 2011, Valentino and Giammetti launched what they called a “virtual museum,” a escaped desktop exertion that allows viewers to feast their eyes connected astir 300 of the designer's iconic pieces.
