Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani dies aged 93

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.

In a statement, the Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti said Garavani died at his home in Rome, surrounded by family. Funeral arrangements are expected to take place in the Italian capital later this week.

Born in 1932 in Voghera, northern Italy, Garavani trained in Paris before returning to Italy to establish his fashion house in Rome in 1959. He became known for refined couture and eveningwear, helping to build an international reputation for Italian fashion during the post-war decades.

A signature element of his work was a vivid shade of red that became closely associated with the brand and widely known in the industry as ‘Valentino red’.

Garavani worked closely with longtime business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, whom he met in 1960. Together, they expanded Valentino into a global luxury label, dressing royalty, political figures and leading figures from film and culture.

His designs were worn by a wide range of public figures over several decades, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Queen Paola of Belgium, as well as later generations of models and actors such as Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett.

Valentino’s gowns were a regular presence at major international events, particularly award ceremonies, where his work became associated with formal red-carpet dressing. Even after stepping back from active design, the label continued to feature prominently at high-profile cultural events.

Garavani retired from the runway in 2008. While no longer involved in day-to-day design, he remained a prominent figure in the fashion world and a symbol of Italian couture.

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