Latest news Italian fashion designer Valentino dead at the age of 93
The Italian fashion designer Valentino is dead. He died in Rome on Monday at the age of 93, as announced by his foundation. For a long time, Valentino was one of the most famous fashion designers in the world. He made a name for himself in the fashion world with his creations and his elegant and elitist style. Hollywood stars wore his clothes. He also marketed perfumes, jewelry and handbags in his stores. He was always concerned with beauty.
19.01.2026, 19:25
SDA
One of the trademarks of Valentino Garavani, as he was actually known, was the color red. Since his first collection in 1959, he has used the striking red color again and again. There is even a special shade of "Valentino red" - a strong and bright red. The "last emperor", as he was called by many, managed to become known by his first name alone. For those interested in fashion, even with just one letter: The V, which is still the logo of the Valentino brand today. His surname is probably only known to a few.
Hollywood divas wore his clothes
Valentino claimed to know the secret of women. "I know what women want: They want to be beautiful," he once said in an interview. His creations were therefore always all about beauty. Great Hollywood actresses such as Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth as well as the European aristocracy wore his gowns. Later, stars such as Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep and Gwyneth Paltrow also walked the red carpet in the Italian's dresses.
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani - born on May 11, 1932 in Voghera, northern Italy - took an interest in fashion at a very early age. "As a boy, I used to lie asleep and dream of movie stars, of all the beautiful things in the world," he once said. His first inspiration was the Hollywood musical "Girl in the Spotlight" (1940). "When I saw this unique beauty as a 13-year-old boy, I decided to design clothes for women." While still a teenager, he went to Paris to train as a designer.
In the end, he lived away from the limelight
In 1960, he founded the Valentino fashion house together with his long-time partner and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Successful collections followed in the 1970s and 1980s. For decades, he enchanted the fashion world with his elegant style, which was characterized by simple cuts - embellished with extravagant sequins, lace, flowers, pearls or precious metals.
However, shortly before the turn of the millennium, Maison Valentino was also affected by the changes in the fashion industry. Large shares were sold. Valentino finally withdrew from the fashion business in 2007. He left the field to his successors and still designed clothes from time to time. In the end, he lived in seclusion and only occasionally appeared at Valentino shows via video chat.
