Legendary Designer Valentino Garavani dies at 93

The fashion world bid farewell to one of its most influential architects of elegance on January 19, 2026, when Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani passed away at the age of 93. Revered as one of the last true masters of haute couture, Valentino defined an era in which refinement, discipline, and timeless beauty stood at the pinnacle of luxury. 

For more than five decades, Valentino shaped how power, femininity, and aspiration were expressed through fashion. His work became a visual shorthand for prestige, worn by royalty, first ladies, and cultural icons, and continues to influence how modern luxury brands position elegance today. 

The Man Behind the Maison

Born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy, Valentino Garavani grew up in a cultured and financially stable household, where his fascination with art, cinema, and dress emerged early. Unlike many creatives who arrive at fashion by chance, Valentino's ambition was deliberate. At 17, he left Italy for Paris, immersing himself in the rigorous traditions of haute couture at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

Paris in the post-war years was exacting and insular, particularly toward young Italian designers. Yet the discipline of the French couture system sharpened Valentino's sensibility-instilling in him an uncompromising respect for structure, proportion, and craftsmanship that would later distinguish his work from fleeting trends.

Central to his personal and professional life was Giancarlo Giammetti, whom Valentino met in 1960. Their partnership is one of the most enduring in fashion history. It was defined by clarity of roles: Garavani as the creative visionary, Giammetti as the strategic and commercial mind. Even after their romantic relationship ended, their alliance remained the foundation of the Valentino empire.

View this post on Instagram

From Parisian Apprenticeship to Roman Ascendancy

Valentino's early career unfolded quietly but purposefully. After completing his studies, he worked under Jean Dessès and later alongside Guy Laroche, absorbing the realities of couture production and the discipline required to sustain a luxury house.

In 1959, he returned to Rome and opened his first atelier on Via Condotti, supported by his father. At the time, Rome was an unconventional choice for a couture house, but Valentino understood its potential. The city was emerging as a cultural epicenter, buoyed by cinema, aristocracy, and international society.

That same year, he designed a strapless red cocktail dress later immortalized as "La Fiesta." The hue, a vivid blend of carmine and scarlet, would evolve into Valentino Red, a color so distinctive it became synonymous with the house itself. The moment proved decisive. Elizabeth Taylor, then in Rome filming Cleopatra, discovered Valentino's work and wore his designs publicly, instantly elevating his profile within elite circles.

Establishing a Couture Powerhouse

Valentino's definitive breakthrough came in 1962, when he presented his first haute couture collection at Palazzo Pitti in Florence. The response was immediate and international. His designs offered an alternative to the era's growing experimentalism, elegance over provocation, precision over spectacle.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Valentino dressed a constellation of influential women, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Audrey Hepburn, Princess Margaret, and later Princess Diana. His creations became synonymous with authority and poise. 

Jacqueline Kennedy's wedding dress for her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, as well as the black ensemble Valentino designed for her husband's funeral, firmly placed him within the visual history of modern power dressing.

In 1967, Valentino once again demonstrated his instinct for restraint with the celebrated "no color" collection, composed entirely of white, ivory, and beige. In stark contrast to the psychedelic excess of the time, the collection underscored his belief that true luxury lay in discipline. It earned him the Neiman Marcus Award and introduced the now-iconic V logo, reinforcing the house's identity as a symbol of quiet authority.

Valentino Today: A Brand Built on Permanence

Valentino Garavani's influence extends far beyond his lifetime. The house he built has demonstrated a rare ability to evolve while preserving its core values. After his retirement, creative leadership passed to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, who softened and modernized the brand's aesthetic. Under Piccioli's sole direction from 2016, Valentino entered a new cultural chapter-marked by inclusivity, emotional couture, and globally influential moments such as Pink PP.

In 2024, the appointment of Alessandro Michele signaled another strategic evolution. Known for his archival depth and theatrical sensibility, Michele's vision aligns with Valentino's original belief in history, romance, and excess executed with intelligence. 

Today, Valentino remains one of the few luxury maisons where haute couture credibility, cultural relevance, and commercial strength coexist seamlessly.

An Unforgettable Legacy

In an industry driven by immediacy, he championed longevity. In an era of disruption, he upheld elegance as power.

His legacy endures not only in the Valentino Red gowns preserved in museums and memory, but in the very language of modern luxury. Valentino Garavani did not simply dress women of influence, he shaped how influence itself was styled.

His passing closes a chapter in fashion history, but the maison he built continues to speak in his voice: composed, commanding, and unmistakably timeless.