Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, one of the most influential figures in global haute couture, has died at the age of 93.
In a statement shared on Instagram, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti said Garavani passed away at his residence in Rome, surrounded by his loved ones.
The foundation also shared plans for Valentino’s funeral, noting that the Italian fashion designer will be buried on Friday, January 23, 2025.
“The lying in state will be held at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23 on Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.,” it stated.
“The funeral will take place on Friday, January 23, at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, in Piazza della Repubblica 8 in Rome, at 11 a.m.”
Following the death of the popular fashion designer, whose elegant evening gowns were favored for decades by some of the world’s most glamorous women, notable figures including the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, have commiserated with the family of the deceased.
“Valentino, undisputed master of style and elegance and eternal symbol of Italian high fashion,” the Italian leader shared on X.
“Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything.”
Born in the northern town of Voghera, Italy, in 1932, Valentino—who was popularly known by his first name—learned his trade in the haute couture ateliers of Paris before founding his own line in Rome in 1959.
Early on, he became known for his red dresses, in a rich scarlet shade that became his signature color, widely recognized within the industry as “Valentino red.”
In 1960, he met his long-time business partner (and, for 12 years, romantic partner) Giancarlo Giammetti, then a young architecture student. Together, the pair turned Valentino SpA into an internationally recognized brand.
One of Valentino’s first famous customers was actress Elizabeth Taylor, whom he met while she was filming Cleopatra in Rome in the early 1960s.
Other glamorous followers, and buyers, of Valentino’s work in the early years of his career included Begum Aga Khan, Queen Paola of Belgium, actresses Audrey Hepburn and Joan Collins, and Jacqueline Kennedy, who even wore a Valentino gown to wed Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968.
