Designer Known For Red Gowns And International Clientele Passes Away In Rome
Valentino Garavani, the Italian fashion designer known for founding the Valentino brand and dressing a global clientele, has died in Rome at the age of 93.
Born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, a town in northern Italy between Milan and Turin, Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani studied at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris before apprenticing with Jean Dessès and later working under Guy Laroche. In 1959, he returned to Rome to establish his own atelier with financial support from his father and a business associate.
In 1960, he met Giancarlo Giammetti, then a 21-year-old architecture student, who joined the business and helped stabilize its finances. Together, they built Valentino into a fashion house that became known for couture eveningwear and international recognition, particularly in the U.S.
Valentino’s first significant breakthrough came in 1962 when he presented a collection in Florence. In 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy was introduced to his work and began ordering dresses. Her selection of Valentino for her 1968 wedding to Aristotle Onassis drew further attention to the brand. He presented an all-white couture collection that year, marking an early example of logo-driven fashion with the use of a repeated “V” motif.
He became known for the color red, which he began using in his collections early on. The color was consistently included in his shows and became closely associated with the brand identity.
Throughout his career, Valentino maintained homes in Rome, London, New York, Gstaad, and Paris, as well as a private yacht. His social life was notable for high-profile events, including multiple multi-day celebrations marking career milestones.
In 1998, Valentino and Giammetti sold the company to Italian holding company HDP for $300 million. It was later sold to Marzotto Apparel in 2002, and then to private equity firm Permira in 2007. Valentino announced his retirement that same year, with his final couture show held in January 2008.
Valentino’s long professional partnership with Giammetti also included a personal relationship, which ended in 1972. In later years, he remained closely connected with Giammetti, as well as with Carlos Souza, a former partner, and Bruce Hoeksema, who was with Valentino in the 1980s.
In retirement, Valentino focused on his personal art collection and homes. He was the subject of the 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, and his work was the focus of major exhibitions, including one at Somerset House in London in 2012.
Valentino’s designs were worn by public figures including Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece, and Julia Roberts, who wore a black-and-white Valentino gown to the 2001 Academy Awards. The brand’s archival pieces were displayed in a 2022 exhibition in his hometown of Voghera, marking his 90th birthday.
Valentino Garavani remained active in public life and occasional creative projects after his retirement. No successor from the family was named; the house has since operated under various creative directors.
Details regarding memorial services have not been announced.