Valentino Garavani dies at 93: Italian fashion icon behind the famous “Valentino Red”

Valentino Garavani, one of the biggest fashion designers of the 20th century, died on Monday at his home in Rome. He was 93 years old. His death was officially confirmed in a statement by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti.

Valentino was known as the designer who dressed royalty, movie stars, and rich society women around the world, as reported by The New York Times. He dressed princesses of all kinds — real royals, former royals, Hollywood stars, and high-society women. A 2008 documentary called him “The Last Emperor,” showing his powerful place in fashion. Fashion journalist John Fairchild once nicknamed him “the Sheik of chic” because of his luxury style.

Valentino fashion brand

Valentino founded the Valentino fashion house in 1959, which later became one of the most famous luxury brands in the world as noted by The New York Times. For over 50 years, he didn’t just dress the rich and famous — he lived like them, with palaces, staff, and his famous red color. Rome’s former mayor Walter Veltroni once said, “In Italy, there is the Pope — and there is Valentino.”


Valentino was always perfectly groomed, deeply tanned, and surrounded by assistants and his pet pugs, creating a strong image of glamour. He helped shape Italian fashion and luxury style for generations with his elegant and glamorous designs. Valentino believed strongly in the “La Dolce Vita” lifestyle and stayed loyal to beauty and elegance. “I always look for beauty, beauty,” Valentino said in a 2009 interview, as cited by The New York Times. He said he did not care about trends or being edgy, focusing only on making women look beautiful.

Valentino’s most famous designs

Jacqueline Kennedy’s iconic wedding lace dress was a Valentino masterclass, which she carried while reading the vows with Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Farah Diba’s Iran evacuation dress after the Shah’s fall in 1979 was also Valentino’s design. “I try to make my girls look sensational,” he told The New York Times in 2007. Bernadette Chirac wore Valentino in 1995, when her husband became the president of France.


The premier of legendary 1960 hit “Spartacus” in 1960 also saw the lead actress Elizabeth Taylor flaunt a Valentino, while Julia Roberts was another in the list of iconic Valentino moments when she donned the designer’s dress while picking up her Oscar in 2001. The New York Times reports that Cate Blanchett also accepted her 2005 Oscar in a Valentino. The designer along with his maverick business partner Giancarlo Giammetti took Italian fashion by storm by bringing it toe to toe with elite Paris couture world. His success opened doors for future Italian designers like Armani and Versace.


Valentino built a very big fashion business by giving licenses to other companies. His brand became the first designer brand listed on the Milan stock exchange. He did something very rare in fashion. He stopped doing runway shows in a calm and smooth way, without harming his name or success. Valentino Garavani leaves behind a strong fashion empire. He will always be remembered for luxury, beauty, and timeless style.

FAQs

Q1. Who was Valentino Garavani?

Valentino Garavani was a famous Italian fashion designer known for luxury dresses worn by global celebrities.

Q2. Why is Valentino Garavani important in fashion?

He helped shape modern luxury fashion and made the color “Valentino red” world famous.