Valentino Garavani Dies at 93

Valentino Garavani, the celebrated Italian couturier known simply as Valentino, has died at his Rome residence at age 93, the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation announced.

“Obituary Italian fashion designer Valentino dies at 93 AP By JENNY BARCHFIELD and COLLEEN BARRY Monday, January 19, 2026 1:09 PM ET Italian fashion legend Valentino Garavani, whose elegant evening gowns were favored for decades, has died at 93, according to his foundation”

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Multiple outlets reported he died at home and was surrounded by loved ones, with the foundation and the designer's Instagram account cited as the primary announcements.

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Reuters-style mainstream coverage noted tributes from industry figures and national leaders, while lifestyle and tabloid outlets provided funeral logistics and public memorial details.

Garavani's career spanned roughly five decades.

He founded the Valentino house in Rome in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

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He became famed for haute couture and the trademark Valentino red.

He retired as lead designer in 2008 but remained engaged with the brand and cultural projects.

Sources uniformly note his work dressing royalty, first ladies and Hollywood stars.

Recurring examples include Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana and Julia Roberts.

His aesthetic featured feminine silhouettes, bows, ruffles, lace and embroidery.

Several outlets highlight hallmark moments such as Jacqueline Kennedy's 1968 wedding dress and Julia Roberts' 2001 Oscars gown.

Beyond design, several outlets detail Garavani's business moves.

“The designer who launched an iconic global brand passed away Monday, according to his social media accounts”

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Valentino expanded into licensing, fragrances, and accessories and was sold in 1998 for reported figures around $300 million.

Those proceeds helped build substantial personal wealth later estimated in some reports at about $1.5 billion.

He maintained a jet-set lifestyle with multiple properties in Rome, Paris, London, Manhattan, and Switzerland, plus a famed chateau near Paris.

Business-oriented coverage highlights revenues, licensing, and the label's changing ownership through the 2000s and 2010s.

Valentino's personal and professional partnership with Giancarlo Giammetti is consistently noted across outlets.

Giammetti handled business affairs while Valentino led creative work, and together they founded the foundation at 23 Piazza Mignanelli that now serves as a cultural hub.

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Most sources describe Giammetti as his longtime partner, though Mint uniquely reports their personal relationship ended in the early 1970s while they remained close collaborators.

The foundation's exhibitions and recent shows were part of Valentino's late-life cultural activity, and he continued mentoring and charitable work into his 90s.

Several sources list a lying-in-state at PM23 (Piazza Mignanelli 23) on Jan. 21–22 and a funeral at Rome’s Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri on Jan. 23.

“Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns, often in his trademark shade of “Valentino red,” were fashion show staples for nearly half a century, has died at home in Rome, his foundation announced Monday”

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Other reports focus on tributes from the fashion community and political figures.

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Industry figures including Alessandro Michele, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Pierpaolo’s predecessor are quoted as offering condolences.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is among those who paid tribute.

Coverage across regions emphasizes Valentino’s lasting influence on red-carpet glamour and concerns about the house’s future.