Valentino, designer who dressed Jackie Kennedy and Hollywood elite, dies at 93

Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer known as “the last of the great 20th-century couturiers,” died Monday at his Rome home at age 93, his foundation announced.usnews
The designer built a global luxury empire defined by his signature “Valentino Red“—a hue so iconic it was officially recognized by Pantone—and dressed generations of royalty, first ladies, and Hollywood stars including Jacqueline Kennedy.vogue
His funeral will be held Friday at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome, with lying in state scheduled for January 21-22.unionesarda

Valentino Garavani, Fashion Legend and ‘Last Emperor,’ Dies at 93

Valentino Garavani, the Italian fashion designer who dressed royalty, first ladies, and Hollywood’s brightest stars in breathtakingly beautiful gowns for nearly half a century, died Monday at his home in Rome. He was 93.

The Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation announced his passing on Instagram, stating that the designer “passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones.” His funeral will be held Friday at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome, with lying in state scheduled for January 21-22.usnews

Fashion’s Last Emperor

Known as “the last of the great 20th-century couturiers,” Valentino built an empire of elegance that defined luxury fashion for generations. His signature “Valentino Red” became so iconic that Pantone officially recognized the hue, and the fashion house never designed a collection without at least one dress in the vivid scarlet shade.vogue

Born in Voghera, Italy, in 1932, Valentino trained in Paris before returning to Rome to open his first atelier on Via Condotti in 1960. There he met Giancarlo Giammetti, who would become his lifelong business partner and companion. Together they built Valentino into a global luxury powerhouse.wikipedia

His 1962 haute couture show at Palazzo Pitti in Florence marked his international breakthrough, putting both himself and Italian fashion on the world stage. His devoted clientele, affectionately known as “Val’s Gals,” included Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, and Sophia Loren.nssmag

Dressing History

Perhaps no relationship better defined Valentino’s cultural significance than his friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy. After JFK’s assassination, the former first lady commissioned six black and white mourning dresses from him. In 1968, he designed the ivory lace wedding dress she wore to marry Aristotle Onassis, cementing his status as an international fashion figurehead.farfetch

“Valentino, live 100 years!” Kennedy famously declared in 1966. The couturier came close.vogue

His designs continued gracing red carpets decades later. When Julia Roberts accepted her 2001 Oscar wearing a vintage 1992 Valentino gown, it became one of the most celebrated awards show moments in history. Valentino himself called it “probably the most sensational dress seen on a celebrity.”joelandsonfabrics

A Final Chapter

Valentino retired in 2008 after presenting his final haute couture collection at Paris’s Musée Rodin, where models walked the runway draped entirely in his signature red. He received a standing ovation from an audience filled with fashion luminaries and longtime friends.wikipedia

His death follows that of his longtime friend Giorgio Armani, who passed away in September 2025 at 91. At the time, Valentino wrote: “I mourn the passing of a person I always considered a friend, never a rival.”lapresse

The Valentino brand continues under creative director Alessandro Michele, who joined in 2024, paying tribute to the house’s Roman heritage and its founder’s legacy.crfashionbook