Italy mourns Valentino Garavani who died in Rome on Monday.
Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella led tributes to Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian designer and founder of the Valentino fashion house, who died aged 93 in Rome on Monday.
“With Valentino’s passing, Italy loses a successful designer, capable of looking beyond trends and conventions”, Mattarella said in a statement, offering condolences to his family and colleagues.
Known in the industry as “the emperor”, Valentino built one of the country’s most celebrated luxury houses and was famed for his signature “Valentino Red” creations.
He passed away at his Roman villa on the Appian Way, “surrounded by his loved ones,” his foundation said in a statement.
“Valentino, undisputed master of style and elegance and eternal symbol of Italian high fashion” – Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on social media – “Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything.”
Italy’s culture minister Alessandro Giuli hailed Valentino as “an undisputed symbol of Italian creativity for over half a century”, adding: “He will never be forgotten.”
Born in Voghera in Italy’s Lombardy region in 1932, the flamboyant designer founded the Valentino brand and company in Rome in 1959 after completing his formal training in Paris.
In 1960 he met Giancarlo Giammetti, an architecture student, who would soon become Valentino’s partner, both in business and in life, and together they built a globally recognised brand.
By the mid-1960s Valentino’s creations were a favourite of some of the world’s best-known celebrities, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn.
Hailing him as one of “Italy’s most luminous and beloved figures”, Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri underlined the stylist’s strong links with the Italian capital.
“Valentino Garavani taught the world what true elegance and beauty mean: a designer who represented Italian excellence everywhere, elevating fashion into art” – Gualtieri wrote on X – “Rome, which saw the birth and growth of his Maison in Via Condotti and hosted unforgettable events to celebrate his art, embraces his family, his friends, and all those who loved him.”
Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace paid tribute to Valentino with a post on Instagram, writing: “We have lost a true master, he will always be remembered for his art”, and remembering Giammetti in her thoughts.
Legendary Italian actress Sophia Loren, 91, also remembered her “dear Valentino” with whom she “shared moments of great affection and sincere mutual respect”.
“You had a kind soul, rich in humanity” – Loren stated – “You were a friend, and your art and passion will forever remain a source of inspiration.”
In 1998, Valentino and Giammetti sold their company for approximately $300 million to Italian conglomerate HdP however Valentino stayed on as creative director until 2007.
Valentino held his final haute couture show in Paris in 2008, featuring top models Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Eva Herzigová.
An exhibition opened on Tuesday at the Roman headquarters of the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation, PM23, located in Piazza Mignanelli, the same location as the designer’s historic atelier
The show features installations by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos alongside Valentino creations.
Valentino’s body will lie in state at PM23 on Wednesday and Thursday, before a funeral on Friday morning at Rome’s Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Piazza della Repubblica.
Photo credit: Featureflash Photo Agency.
