Valentino Garavani Has Died Aged 93 — The Fashion World Mourns a Legend

Valentino Garavani 1932 – 2026

Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian couturier and founder of Valentino, has died at the age of 93. The news was announced on Monday, January 19 via the official Valentino Instagram, confirming that the designer passed away at his Roman residence “surrounded by his loved ones.”

In an era defined by glamour, craftsmanship, and cinematic elegance, Valentino shaped modern couture with a signature that became unmistakable: refined silhouettes, unapologetic femininity, and the iconic “Valentino Red” that came to symbolise Italian luxury on the world stage.

Throughout his six-decade career, he dressed royalty, First Ladies, Hollywood starlets, and the international jet set, while shaping Valentino into one of the defining maisons of the 20th and early 21st century.

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A post shared by Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti (@fondazionevggg)

Public Farewell in Rome

The Maison confirmed that the lying in state will be held at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23—adjacent to the historic Valentino headquarters—on Wednesday, January 21 and Thursday, January 22 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

A funeral service will follow on Friday, January 23 at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Piazza della Repubblica 8, Rome, beginning at 11:00 am.

Fashion leaders, industry figures, and admirers from across the world are expected to attend.

A Career That Defined Italian Couture

Born in Voghera in 1932, Valentino Garavani quickly established himself as a couturier of exacting standards and cinematic glamour. After training in Paris and returning to Rome, he opened his atelier in 1960 and swiftly became the designer of choice for society’s most photographed women—from Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor to Audrey Hepburn and Sophia Loren.

His legacy is not merely aesthetic but cultural. Valentino’s vision helped position Rome as a capital of luxury fashion, bringing international attention to Italian couture during a period dominated by Parisian houses. His retirement in 2008 marked the end of an era, yet his influence continued to inform red carpet dressing and modern eveningwear design for decades.

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A post shared by Valentino Garavani (@realmrvalentino)

A Cultural Impact That Endures

Valentino was known not only for precision tailoring and lavish gowns, but for a philosophy of beauty that rejected minimalism long before luxury entered its quieter cycle. In a now-famous sentiment, he once said: “I love beauty. It’s not my fault.”

That commitment to beauty—maximal yet dignified, sensual yet refined—became a global export of Italian luxury and set a standard many designers still chase.

An Industry in Mourning

Tributes have poured in across social media from designers, editors, celebrities, and institutions who credit Valentino with redefining elegance. Many have referred to him simply as “Maestro,” a testament to his singular position in the craft.

While the Maison continues under new creative leadership, Valentino Garavani leaves behind one of the most intact aesthetic legacies in modern fashion—an oeuvre that shaped couture as both art and aspiration.

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