Valentino Garavani, The Iconic Italian Fashion Designer, Passes Away at 93

The fashion world is in mourning following the announcement that Valentino Garavani, the iconic Italian designer who fundamentally reshaped the landscape of haute couture, has died at the age of 93. His passing was confirmed via a poignant social media statement released by the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti on January 19, 2026. According to the foundation, the maestro passed away at his private residence in Rome, a city that served as both his creative sanctuary and the headquarters of his global empire for more than sixty years. The announcement noted that he was "surrounded by his loved ones" at the time of his death. This moment marks the end of an era for an industry that Valentino dominated with an uncompromising commitment to beauty, elegance, and femininity. Almost immediately after the news broke, the digital landscape was flooded with tributes from the "Valentino family", a group of A-list muses, fellow designers, and industry veterans. Pierpaolo Piccioli, the former creative director who spent decades under Valentino’s mentorship, shared a simple yet devastating broken heart emoji on the official announcement, later expanding on the profound loss of his "mentor." The news is particularly resonant now as the industry continues to grapple with the loss of its founding titans. Valentino was one of the last remaining links to the mid-century golden age of couture, a designer who didn't just follow trends but dictated the very essence of "jet-set chic." His influence was so pervasive that he became mononymous, known to the world simply as Valentino. The foundation has provided specific details for those wishing to pay their respects: a lying-in-state will be held at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23 on Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. A formal funeral service is scheduled for Friday, January 23, at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica at 11:00 am. The timing of his passing comes just as the fashion world prepares for the spring couture season, a cycle he once commanded with iron-willed perfectionism. Valentino’s absence leaves a void that many industry insiders believe can never be truly filled. His philosophy was famously simple: “I know what women want,” he stated in the 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor. “They want to be beautiful.” This singular focus allowed him to outlast shifts in minimalism, grunge, and avant-garde experimentation, maintaining a brand that remained the gold standard for red-carpet excellence. From the classic elegance of his early work in the 1960s to his final bow in 2008, he remained steadfast in his belief that fashion should be a celebration of grace rather than a provocation of the status quo. A Legacy Painted in Red: From Voghera to the World Stage To understand why Valentino Garavani’s death has sent such shockwaves through the cultural zeitgeist, one must look back at the historical arc of a career that spanned nearly seven decades. Born Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy, he displayed an early obsession with the arts. His journey took him to Paris, the then-undisputed capital of fashion, where he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Before he was a household name, he cut his teeth as an apprentice under the watchful eyes of Jacques Fath and Balenciaga, later working for Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche. These formative years in Paris instilled in him a technical rigor and an appreciation for the "architecture" of a dress that would become his trademark. Upon returning to Italy to open his own fashion house in Rome in 1960, Valentino made two decisions that would change his life: he embraced the color red, and he met Giancarlo Giammetti. Giammetti, an architecture student at the time, became his lifelong business partner and, for twelve years, his romantic partner. Together, they built a powerhouse that balanced Valentino's soaring creative whims with savvy commercial expansion. But it was the "Valentino Red", a specific, vibrant hue inspired by an opera performance of Carmen he saw as a teenager in Barcelona, that became his visual calling card. This shade, a precise mix of magenta, yellow, and black, would eventually be recognized as an official Pantone color. Valentino’s ascent to the pinnacle of high society was cemented by his relationship with Jacqueline Kennedy. In the year following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the former First Lady ordered six of his couture pieces in somber black-and-white. Their professional bond deepened over the years, culminating in one of the most famous fashion moments of the 20th century: the ivory lace gown she wore for her 1968 wedding to Aristotle Onassis. This high-profile endorsement transformed Valentino into a global celebrity. He wasn't just a designer for the stars; he was a peer to them. His circle included the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, and Audrey Hepburn, all of whom sought the "Valentino touch" for their most public moments. His career reached a cinematic peak in 2006 when he appeared as himself in the hit film The Devil Wears Prada, and again in 2008 with the release of Matt Tyrnauer’s documentary, which offered a rare, unfiltered look at his lavish lifestyle and his six beloved pugs. When he announced his retirement in 2007, he did so with the same flair that characterized his runways. “ At this time, I have decided that is the perfect moment to say adieu to the world of fashion,” he told The New York Times at the time. “As the English say, I would like to leave the party when it is still full.” His final haute couture show in January 2008 at the Musée Rodin in Paris remains a legendary event. The star-studded audience, featuring everyone from Uma Thurman to a young Blake Lively, watched as a phalanx of models closed the show in identical red dresses.