Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer who built one of the world’s most celebrated luxury houses and gave fashion its iconic “Valentino red,” has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
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Valentino passed away at his home in Rome. The cause of death was not immediately disclosed.
Often referred to as “the emperor” of fashion, Valentino was among the last giants of a generation that included Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld, designers who shaped haute couture before the industry became dominated by global conglomerates and commercial branding.
His signature shade — a distinctive mix of carmine and scarlet with a hint of orange — was inspired by an elegant elderly woman he once saw at Barcelona’s opera house. Introduced to the fashion world in 1959 through a strapless cocktail dress, “Valentino red” became synonymous with the brand and appeared in nearly every one of his collections.
“I think a woman dressed in red is always wonderful, she is the perfect image of a heroine,” Valentino wrote in his 2022 book Rosso.
The first Italian designer to show on Paris’s exclusive haute couture catwalks, Valentino rose to international fame dressing Hollywood royalty and global icons. His creations were worn by Elizabeth Taylor — for whom he designed a wedding gown — as well as Jackie Kennedy, Sharon Stone, Penélope Cruz and numerous Oscar winners.
Born in 1932 in Voghera, south of Milan, Valentino studied fashion in Milan and Paris before working as an apprentice to Jean Dessès. He returned to Italy in 1960 to open his fashion house in Rome, the same year Elizabeth Taylor wore one of his gowns to the premiere of Spartacus.
That year also marked the beginning of his lifelong personal and professional partnership with Giancarlo Giammetti, who managed the business while Valentino focused on design. Together, they transformed the brand into a global luxury empire.
Known for romantic silhouettes, intricate craftsmanship and luxurious fabrics such as chiffon and georgette, Valentino earned numerous accolades, including France’s highest civilian honour in 2006.
He retired from fashion in 2008, stepping away at the height of his success. “I would like to leave the party when it is still full,” he said at the time. His final show took place in Paris, a city he called his second home.
The Valentino brand was later acquired by Qatari investment fund Mayhoola, with French luxury group Kering taking a minority stake in 2023 and planning full acquisition in the coming years.
In recent years, Valentino and Giammetti remained active patrons of the arts. In 2025, their foundation opened the PM23 gallery in Rome, inaugurating it with an exhibition titled Horizons/Red — a tribute to the colour that defined Valentino’s legacy.
“Red isn’t just a colour,” Giammetti said at the opening. “It’s a symbolic and aesthetic force of extraordinary power.”
