ROME, Italy — Valentino Garavani, the Italian fashion designer who built the Valentino label into a luxury empire and became closely associated with the signature shade known as “Valentino Red,” died on Monday, his foundation said. He was 93.
“Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” the foundation said in a statement posted on Instagram on Monday, January 19, 2026.
The foundation said he would lie in state on Wednesday and Thursday and that his funeral would take place in Rome on Friday.
Often known simply by his first name, Valentino retired in 2008 after a career that began in Rome in the 1960s.
He founded the house of Valentino on Rome’s Via Condotti in 1959.
A Career Built on Couture and Celebrity Clients
Valentino was associated with haute couture and was widely known for eveningwear that became a staple of major awards ceremonies.
His designs were worn by royals, first ladies and film stars, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan.
“I know what women want,” he once said. “They want to be beautiful.”
Among his most prominent appearances on the red carpet were gowns worn at the Academy Awards, including a vintage black-and-white design worn by Ms. Roberts in 2001, and a butter-yellow, one-shouldered dress worn by Cate Blanchett in 2004.
Valentino also designed the long-sleeved lace wedding dress Jacqueline Kennedy wore when she married Aristotle Onassis in 1968.
He later maintained close ties with Diana, Princess of Wales, who frequently wore his designs.
Early Years and the Rise of a Global Brand
Valentino was born in Voghera, northern Italy, on May 11, 1932. He said his fascination with cinema shaped his interest in fashion.
“I was crazy for silver screen, I was crazy for beauty, to see all those movie stars being sensation, well dressed, being always perfect,” he said in a 2007 television interview.
He studied fashion in Milan and Paris and worked for Jean Desses and later Guy Laroche before starting his own fashion house in Rome.
Giancarlo Giammetti worked closely with him from the outset, handling the business side while Valentino developed his clientele.
The brand expanded into ready-to-wear, menswear and accessories over the years.
Valentino and Mr. Giammetti sold the label to an Italian holding company for an estimated $300 million in 1998, with Valentino remaining in a design role for another decade.
Later Leadership at the House
Valentino retired in 2008 and was succeeded briefly by Alessandra Facchinetti, who was replaced after about a year by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli.
Ms. Chiuri later left to lead Dior in 2016, while Mr. Piccioli continued at Valentino through a period that included the introduction of the Rockstud pump and the colour known as Pink PP.
He left the house in 2024 and later joined Balenciaga, and was replaced at Valentino by Alessandro Michele.
Valentino is owned by Qatar’s Mayhoola, which holds a 70 percent stake, and the French luxury group Kering, which owns 30 percent with an option to take full control in 2028 or 2029. Richard Bellini was appointed chief executive last September.
Retrospectives and Documentary
Valentino was the subject of retrospectives, including an exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and of the 2008 documentary “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” which chronicled the end of his career.
In 2011, Valentino and Mr. Giammetti launched a “virtual museum,” described as a free desktop application displaying about 300 of his designs.
