VALENTINO GARAVANI, ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNER DIES AT 93

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Summary:

• Valentino Garavani died Monday at his Rome home at age 93, ending a career that spanned more than 60 years and shaped global luxury fashion
• The designer dressed Jacqueline Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor while establishing Valentino Red as an enduring symbol of Italian style
• Memorial services begin Wednesday at Piazza Mignanelli, with funeral services scheduled for Friday at Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani died Monday, January 19 at his residence in Rome. He was 93. Family and close friends surrounded him at the time of his death.

The designer founded his eponymous fashion house in 1959 and spent more than six decades building what became a global symbol of Italian luxury. Born in 1932, he took his first name from silent film actor Rudolph Valentino. At 17, he moved to Paris to study fashion. Eight years later, he returned to Rome and opened his atelier on Via Condotti.

Giancarlo Giammetti, his business partner and lifelong companion, worked alongside him from the start. Together they transformed a small Roman couture house into an international enterprise. Valentino focused on what he called the "perfect dress." His designs emphasized the female form through precise tailoring and bold color choices.

Women who shaped modern culture wore his clothes. Jacqueline Kennedy chose a Valentino dress for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis. Elizabeth Taylor wore his designs throughout her life. Marella Agnelli became one of his regular clients. These relationships helped establish Italian fashion houses as serious competitors to French couture, which had dominated high fashion for generations.

Color defined much of his work. Valentino Red, a specific shade he developed early in his career, appeared in collection after collection. The hue became so associated with his name that the fashion industry still refers to it by his name. His foundation recently mounted an exhibition titled "Horizons | Red" at PM23, a cultural center dedicated to his archive and legacy.

He presented his final runway collection in 2008 at the Musée Rodin in Paris. The show drew thousands of guests and marked the end of his active role in the business. After stepping down, he remained involved with his foundation and continued to attend major fashion events. His influence persisted even as younger designers took over creative direction at the house.

The designer will lie in state Wednesday and Thursday at the Valentino Garavani Foundation headquarters in Piazza Mignanelli. Visitors will have the opportunity to pay their respects during public viewing hours. Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, January 23 at 11 a.m. local time at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Piazza della Repubblica.

His death closes a chapter in fashion history. Few designers maintained such consistent creative output across so many decades. Fewer still achieved the level of recognition that made their names synonymous with an entire aesthetic approach. Valentino built his reputation on precision, color, and an understanding of what women wanted to wear for the most important moments of their lives.

The Roman fashion scene grew in international stature partly because of his success. He opened doors for other Italian designers to gain recognition in Paris, New York, and other fashion capitals. His archive, now housed at his foundation, contains thousands of garments that document his evolution as a designer and the changing tastes of his clients.

Survivors include Giammetti and extended family members. The fashion house bearing his name continues to operate under the creative direction of designers appointed after his retirement. His foundation will continue its work preserving his legacy and promoting fashion education and scholarship.