Italian fashion legend Valentino Garavani, known for his signature red and glamorous designs for Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana, has died in Rome aged 93.
ROME: Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, known mononymously as Valentino, has died at the age of 93.
His foundation announced his passing at his residence in Rome, surrounded by loved ones.
The designer dressed generations of icons, from Jackie Kennedy and Princess Diana to Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow.
His signature “Valentino red” creations became a symbol of glamour for the international elite.
He was once dubbed “the Sheik of Chic” by Women’s Wear Daily and celebrated for his dedication to glamour.
Born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy, he developed a passion for beautiful things from childhood.
“I have had this illness since childhood,” he told Elle magazine in 2007. “I only like beautiful things.”
He studied in Paris before opening his own fashion house in Rome in 1960 with his partner Giancarlo Giammetti.
His 1962 debut collection in Florence already featured his now-iconic deep red hue.
A pivotal moment came when he began designing for Jacqueline Kennedy in the mid-1960s.
She chose a Valentino lace dress for her 1968 marriage to Aristotle Onassis, cementing his fame.
He became a pioneer, opening the first Italian designer boutique in New York in 1970.
Valentino was known for sensual, figure-hugging designs that celebrated the female form.
“I love a woman who eats food, who has a body, that is a woman and not a stick,” he once said.
He retired in January 2008 after presenting his final collection in Paris.
A 2008 documentary, “Valentino: The Last Emperor”, chronicled his life and career.
In 2011, the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum launched as the world’s first virtual fashion museum.
Reflecting on his legacy in 2005, he said, “I hope I will be remembered as a man who pursued beauty whenever he could.”
