By Trendsetter Tribune 
Valentino Garavani, the designer who defined Italian glamour through decades of elegance and excess, has died at the age of 93. His foundation confirmed he passed away at his residence in Rome, surrounded by loved ones.
His body will lie in state at the Valentino Foundation headquarters in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday, with funeral services scheduled for Friday. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni described him as an “undisputed master of style and elegance” whose influence would endure for generations.
Founded in 1959, the Valentino fashion house quickly became synonymous with luxury. By the early 1960s, Valentino was dressing icons including Sophia Loren, Elizabeth Taylor, Monica Vitti and Jackie Kennedy, who famously wore a Valentino gown when she married Aristotle Onassis. His work came to symbolize a refined, cinematic vision of femininity that helped place Italian fashion on the global stage.
Valentino red became his signature, first appearing in his debut collection and later formalized as a distinct shade recognized by Pantone. When he retired in 2007 after more than 45 years at the top of the industry, every model in his final couture show wore red.
Born in 1932 in Voghera near Milan, Valentino trained in Paris under Jean Dessès, Christian Dior and Guy Laroche before launching his own label. His partnership with Giancarlo Giammetti, both personal and professional, proved central to the brand’s survival and global expansion. Together, they transformed Valentino into one of the world’s most powerful luxury names, eventually selling the company in 1998 for about $300m.
Valentino’s personal life reflected the extravagance of his brand. He lived between Rome, Paris and New York, traveled by private jet, and became a symbol of old-world couture excess. The 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor captured both his creative process and jet-set lifestyle.
His views on beauty and fashion often sparked controversy, particularly his opposition to casual dress and body diversity on runways. Even so, his influence remained unmatched, shaping generations of designers and red-carpet aesthetics.
Following his retirement, the house passed through several creative leaders, most recently announcing Alessandro Michele as creative director in 2024. While the brand continues, Valentino Garavani’s death marks the end of an era in fashion defined by disciplined elegance, celebrity glamour and uncompromising vision.