Valentino Garavani, Founder Of Valentino Fashion House, Dies At 93

 

Valentino Garavani, founder of the Valentino fashion house, has passed away at 93. Explore his life, signature designs, and lasting impact on global fashion.

 

The fashion world is mourning the loss of one of its most poetic voices. Valentino Garavani, the Italian designer whose name became synonymous with elegance, glamour, and unapologetic beauty, has passed away at the age of 93. He died at his residence in Rome, surrounded by loved ones. A fittingly intimate goodbye for a

man who spent his life dressing women for their most unforgettable moments.

 

For over six decades, Valentino shaped how femininity showed up on red carpets, in royal wardrobes, and in the collective imagination of fashion lovers across generations.

Born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy, Valentino’s love for beauty showed up early. He trained in Milan before refining his craft in Paris, where he absorbed the discipline of couture and the drama of French fashion.

In 1960, he returned to Italy and founded the Valentino fashion house in Rome. The same year, he met Giancarlo Giammetti, his lifelong partner and the business mind who helped turn Valentino into a global empire. Their partnership would go on to define not just a brand, but a legacy built on taste, precision, and unwavering commitment to luxury.

Valentino Red and the Art of Being Unforgettable

If fashion has a love language, Valentino spoke it fluently, often in red. Not just any red, but Valentino Red: a rich, slightly orange-toned crimson that became his calling card. You could spot it across a room, on a runway, or in a photograph decades later.

Valentino was also known for his mastery of fabric and detail. Flowing chiffon, delicate georgette, cascading ruffles, and intricate embellishments defined his work. One of his most distinctive techniques is budellini, where wool is hand-rolled into tiny tubes, wrapped in silk, and sewn together. “I love beauty,” he once said plainly, and that philosophy ran through everything he created.

Dressing Icons, Creating History

Elizabeth Taylor was one of his earliest muses, stepping out in a white Valentino gown at the premiere of Spartacus in 1960.

Jacqueline Kennedy became one of his most loyal clients, commissioning couture pieces during one of the most public periods of mourning in modern history following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Valentino later designed her wedding outfit when she married Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

Decades later, Julia Roberts had one of the most iconic Oscar fashion moments of all time in a vintage black Valentino gown trimmed in white when she won Best Actress in 2001. It was minimalist, elegant, and unforgettable, much like the designer himself.

 

Over the years, Valentino’s designs have graced the likes of royalty, Hollywood stars, socialites, and First Ladies, always striking that rare balance between drama and restraint.

Knowing When to Leave the Party

Valentino retired from active designing in 2008, choosing to step away while his influence was still undeniable. He famously announced his departure with a line that has since become fashion folklore: he wanted to leave the party “when it is still full.”

By then, he had already sold the company for hundreds of millions of dollars and secured his place among fashion’s greats. His contributions were recognised globally, including France’s highest civilian honour in 2006.

Though Valentino Garavani is gone, his vision of beauty remains deeply woven into the fabric of fashion. The Valentino house continues under new creative leadership, but its DNA of romance, elegance, craftsmanship, and confidence is unmistakably his. In an industry constantly chasing what’s next, Valentino believed in what lasts. He believed women wanted to feel beautiful, powerful, and seen, and for over 90 years, he dedicated his life to making that happen.

 

Pulseng