Valentino Garavani, one of the most influential couturiers of the 20th century and a defining figure of Italian fashion, has died at the age of 93. He passed away peacefully at his home in Rome, surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement released by the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation.

For more than half a century, Valentino was guided by a clear and enduring vision of beauty. His work reflected elegance, discipline, and romance, expressed through clothes designed with care and intention. His creations were made to last, not only in craftsmanship, but in the way they marked life’s most meaningful moments, shaping how generations of women chose to present themselves on the world’s most visible stages.

Known simply by his first name, Valentino occupied a singular place in culture. His identity was inseparable from his work, and the world he built around himself reflected the same values found in his couture. Glamour and refinement shaped both how he worked and how he lived, giving his personal world the same sense of care and intention seen in his collections.

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani was born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, a small town near Milan. From an early age, he was drawn to cinema, opera, and costume. As a teenager, he discovered his calling after watching the 1941 film Ziegfeld Girl, captivated by its elegance and fantasy. With the encouragement of his parents, he left Italy at 17 to study in Paris, enrolling at the École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

In Paris, Valentino trained under leading figures of couture, including Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche. The experience shaped his technical precision and deep respect for structure. Over time, he blended that foundation with Italian warmth and sensuality, creating a balance that would define his work.

In 1959, he returned to Italy and opened his first couture salon on Via dei Condotti in Rome, introducing Parisian craftsmanship to a city in the midst of its La Dolce Vita era.

A pivotal chapter in his life began in 1960, when Valentino met Giancarlo Giammetti, a young architecture student who would become his lifelong partner in business and life. Their collaboration proved central to the house’s success. Valentino devoted himself to design, while Giammetti oversaw the business and safeguarded the creative vision. Together, they built a fashion house and a shared world through one of fashion’s most enduring partnerships.

Valentino’s international recognition grew in the early 1960s, particularly following his presentations at the Pitti Palace in Florence. His client list soon included some of the most admired women of the era: Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Princess Diana, Marella Agnelli, and Jacqueline Kennedy. Kennedy’s choice to wear Valentino for her 1968 wedding to Aristotle Onassis marked a defining moment in his career. The ivory lace dress remains one of the most enduring bridal designs of the 20th century.

At the center of Valentino’s work was a deep appreciation for femininity. His gowns were carefully constructed, often finished with bows, ruffles, or intricate embroidery, always intended to enhance the woman wearing them. And then there was red. “Valentino red,” inspired by an early experience at the opera in Barcelona, became his signature. More than a color, it was an expression of confidence and presence. As Valentino often said, red had the power to make a woman feel extraordinary. That idea found a final, poetic expression in 2008, when his last collection closed with every model dressed in red.

Throughout decades of change in fashion, Valentino remained guided by his own instincts. “I always wanted to make women beautiful,” he said, a philosophy that shaped his career from beginning to end. That clarity fostered lasting relationships with his clients, many of whom returned to him year after year, trusting his vision and craftsmanship.

Beyond the atelier, Valentino lived with the same sense of elegance found in his designs. Alongside Giammetti, he maintained homes in Rome, London, Paris, New York, Gstaad, and Capri, each reflecting his love of art, architecture, and history. Often accompanied by his beloved pug dogs, Valentino became as recognizable for his impeccably tailored suits and sun-kissed complexion as for his couture. His life reflected the world he imagined through fashion.

In 1998, Valentino and Giammetti sold the company, beginning a gradual transition away from the runway. Valentino officially retired in 2008 after a final couture show in Paris, an emotional moment that marked the close of a remarkable chapter. Even in retirement, he remained creatively engaged, designing wedding gowns for close friends, contributing to opera and ballet productions, and dedicating himself to the foundation he established with Giammetti in 2016.

The Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation became a lasting expression of his values, supporting art, culture, and philanthropy. Its Rome headquarters, PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli, was envisioned as a space for exhibitions and cultural exchange, reflecting Valentino’s belief in beauty as a force for connection and meaning.

Throughout his life, Valentino received numerous honors, including Italy’s highest civilian distinctions, France’s Legion of Honor, and international lifetime achievement awards. Those closest to him often noted that while recognition was appreciated, his greatest satisfaction came from the act of creation itself.

He will lie in state at Piazza Mignanelli in Rome, with funeral services held at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri. He is survived by an extended family of friends, collaborators, and admirers, and by a body of work that continues to define elegance.

Valentino’s legacy is found not only in museum collections and on red carpets, but in the way his work made women feel when they wore it. He believed beauty was something to be practiced with care and attention, and that belief guided his work for more than half a century.