Fashion world mourns Valentino Garavani as tributes pour in for 'emperor' of Italian couture

 

 

The designer's death at 93 marks the end of an era, with industry figures celebrating his boundless love of beauty.

 

The global fashion industry has united in mourning for Valentino Garavani, the Italian haute couture legend who died on Monday at his Rome residence aged 93, with tributes highlighting his unparalleled contribution to elegance and beauty.

 

The designer's foundation announced he had "peacefully passed away today at his residence in Rome, surrounded by the love of his family", prompting an outpouring of emotion from designers, celebrities and political figures worldwide.

 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni led the tributes, calling Valentino "the eternal symbol of Italian haute couture" and thanking him for his contributions to the nation's cultural heritage.

 

Alessandro Michele, who has helmed Valentino's design for nearly two years, described the designer as "not only an undisputed protagonist of fashion, but a central figure in Italian cultural history".

 

"A man who pushed the boundaries of possibility, traversing the world with rare delicacy, silent rigour, and a boundless love of beauty," Michele said in a statement. "He leaves us all a profound legacy: the idea that creating means caring, that beauty is radical and patient attention to bodies, to forms, and to the time that passes through and preserves them."
 

 

 

Pierpaolo Piccioli, who served as Valentino's creative director before his recent move to Balenciaga, paid tribute to his mentor in emotional terms.

 

"For you, beauty was never a luxury nor an ornament: it was a form of defence, a place of safety, the only one possible," he wrote. "You taught me that fashion is joy, though a profoundly serious kind of joy."

 

Piccioli added that Valentino had taught him how to make "the most beautiful bows in the world".

 

The family of Giorgio Armani, who died in September at 91, called Valentino "an undisputed master of grace and elegance, for whom Giorgio Armani always held great admiration".

 

The statement continued: "Valentino embodied the excellence of couture, the rigour of craftsmanship, and a unique vision of fashion made of pure lines, iconic colours and absolute beauty. His passing leaves an immense void."

 

Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow shared personal memories, recalling his laugh, his love of company and "a good Hollywood story", and how he always "pestered" her to "at least wear a little mascara".

 

For many in the industry, Valentino's death represents the end of a generation of old-world fashion maestros who built their empires on craftsmanship and artistry rather than corporate marketing.

 

Valentino ranked alongside Armani and Karl Lagerfeld as the last of a leading generation of designers from an era before fashion became a highly commercial industry run as much by financiers and marketing executives as by couturiers.
 

 

The designer's legacy extends beyond his signature "Valentino red" — a distinctive mix of carmine and scarlet with a hint of orange, inspired by an elegant woman he observed at Barcelona's opera house as a young man.

 

His romantic designs, featuring georgette fabrics, chiffon ruffles and ornate embellishments, dressed some of the world's most glamorous women across six decades.

 

From Elizabeth Taylor's wedding gown to Jane Fonda's heavily beaded Oscar dress in 1981, from Julia Roberts' vintage black-and-white gown in 2001 to more recent appearances by Zendaya and Carey Mulligan, Valentino creations have graced red carpets and defined moments of cinematic glamour.

 

Jacqueline Kennedy even wore a Valentino gown to wed Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

 

Valentino and his long-time business partner Giancarlo Giammetti remained active in supporting the arts following the designer's retirement in 2008.

 

Their foundation opened the PM23 gallery in central Rome in 2025, next to the Valentino headquarters.

 

Fittingly, the opening exhibition — "Horizons/Red" — focused on the colour most closely associated with the designer.

 

"Red isn't just a colour," Giammetti said at the time. "It's a symbolic and aesthetic force of extraordinary power."

 

The business that bears Valentino's name was bought by Qatari fund Mayhoola for €700 million in 2012. French luxury group Kering acquired a 30 per cent stake in 2023, with a commitment to fully acquire the business from 2026, though this has been deferred to 2028 at the earliest.

 

Valentino himself seemed prescient about his irreplaceable role in fashion history. When asked in the 2008 documentary about his life whether he was irreplaceable, he replied with a wry smile: "After me, the deluge."