January 19, 2026 |
And just like that, another great has left the building. Valentino Garavani, lover of red, fulfiller of dreams, romantic genius who shaped women’s fantasies into elegant realities beyond their wildest dreams, has passed away at his residence in Rome, surrounded by his family. He was 93 years old.
To a generation who came of age during fashion’s endless round of musical chairs, Valentino the name may not immediately be synonymous with Valentino the man. Its current creative director, Alessandro Michele, has made his own mark on the brand since presenting his debut collection in January 2025, while his predecessor, Pierpaolo Piccioli, was justly lauded for his respectful modernisation of its house codes during his eight-year tenure between 2016 and 2024, as well as his eight years as co-creative director with Maria Grazia Chiuri. They who took over the house when Valentino retired in 2008, and no more worthy a duo could have been passed the baton.
Hand-picked by Valentino as they were, they would be the first to admit that they were not Valentino. Only Valentino was Valentino, a singular man with a singular vision so exacting, so absolute, that even an unseasoned fashion watcher would have little trouble identifying one of his gowns at 10 paces. “I know what women want. They want to be beautiful,” he once said. For Valentino, it really was that simple, and nor did he ever deviate from his mantra. According to his credo, beauty meant sumptuous silks, ornate lace, fluted frills, elegant pleats and vivid colours such as fuchsia, lilac and his beloved red. While it’s tempting to paint him as a traditionalist, he was also stubbornly subversive, sticking doggedly to embellishment and decoration, no matter how far fashion’s pendulum swung in a more minimalist direction. Valentino didn’t copy trends: he made them. Rather than designing for the moment, he designed for eternity.
With a moniker like Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, perhaps he was always destined to lead a rarefied life, and simply shaped an empire worthy of his name. It certainly shaped the face of 20th-century fashion, leaving behind a legacy that transformed the silhouettes of modern glamour. Women were enraptured, not least those in the public eye, and soon realised that Valentino would never fail to make them look supremely elegant. After Elizabeth Taylor wore a white feather-trimmed Valentino gown to the premiere of Spartacus in 1960, it ignited such a love affair that she journeyed to its Rome HQ for more pieces. “She said, ‘Oh, you have so much publicity with me today – I deserve this, this, this!’” Valentino’s business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, recalled. Of course, Valentino obliged, and so began a longstanding relationship.
Equally smitten was Jacqueline Onassis. After discovering Valentino in 1964, the former first lady was so bowled over that she bought six couture dresses, wearing them throughout her mourning period for John F. Kennedy. When she married her second husband, Aristotle Onassis, in 1968, it was Valentino to whom she turned, choosing a white chantilly lace dress with a pleated skirt from the designer’s well-received ‘white’ collection of 1967.
While Valentino was an immaculate tailor, it was his eveningwear, rather than his daywear, that made an indelible mark. He understood the theatre of clothes, and how the right gown on the right woman could lead her to make an entrance that almost halted time. It’s no accident that Valentino features heavily in every Oscars ‘best dressed’ list. Julia Roberts’s black and white vintage Valentino gown, worn in 2001 when she won her Oscar for Erin Brockovich, is still regarded as one of the most impactful red-carpet moments in the ceremony’s history, and is so revered that it even has its own Wikipedia page. Sophia Loren, Jessica Lange, Reese Witherspoon, Cate Blanchett and Jennifer Lopez are but a handful of the stars who’ve reached for Valentino on Oscar night, knowing that however striking the gown, it will never overwhelm them.
Whether they were household names or not, a common refrain among his clients was how much he genuinely loved women. Many of his regular clients went on to become friends, including Princess Diana, for whom he was something of an emotional support designer during tumultuous times. In addition to wearing him frequently, they became so close that she would holiday on his private yacht during the 1990s, one of few safe havens away from the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Valentino also developed a special bond with Anne Hathaway after he made a cameo appearance in The Devil Wears Prada. She wore his red dresses beautifully – most memorably to host the 2011 Oscars – while their friendship led to Hathaway choosing Valentino to design her wedding gown in 2012.
Born on May 11, 1932 in Voghera, northern Italy, Valentino began his life in a quiet corner of Lombardy, but set his sights far beyond. Aged 17, he travelled to Paris to study fashion at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, returning to Rome in 1959 to establish his own atelier on Via Condotti. The house of Valentino was founded formally in 1960, together with Giammetti.
It’s impossible to overstate the importance of Giammetti in Valentino’s story: the two were business partners for more than 50 years, and romantic partners from the day they met in 1960 until 1972. They curated an expansive empire of couture, lavish villas and luxury yachts, which they enjoyed as though the word ‘restraint’ had been struck from the Italian dictionary. As anyone who saw them together at Paris Couture Week would attest, they bickered as passionately as they loved, something that was documented in the 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, a must-watch for any fan, namely because it doesn’t shy from showing his stubbornness as well as his brilliance.
When he retired in 2008, with a swansong show at Paris’s Musée Rodin featuring Claudia Schiffer, Shalom Harlow and Naomi Campbell, he left the industry having rigorously preserved the traditions of couture, as well as having remained in creative control of his own house. In an era of disposable trends and disposable clothing, his consummate skill as a brand builder left behind a legacy that is also a lesson: to listen to your heart, stay true to your vision and never falter. Suddenly, the world feels underdressed.
Photography courtesy of Valentino.
