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Valentino Garavani the Founder of Valentino Has Passed Away at 93
Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian fashion designer who was the brain behind the Valentino brand, has passed away at the age of 93. On January 19, a post on Valentino’s personal Instagram page and his foundation informed that he breathed his last at his residence in Rome where he was with members of his family. The post also shared the details of the funeral: a lying in state will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23, and a funeral will take place at 11 a.m. on Friday, January 23, at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome.
Some well-known figures in the world of fashion also shared their words of comfort in the comment section. Among them was Pierpaolo Piccioli—who, in partnership with Valentino, was the creative director of the brand—who responded with a broken heart emoji.
Valentino Garavani: The Legendary Designer of Iconic Red Dresses and Hollywood Glamour
Valentino Garavani was a fashion designer who was personally favored and regularly chosen by major celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Nicole Kidman, and Anne Hathaway.
Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani came into this world on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy. The designer studied fashion in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He worked as an apprentice for Jacques Fath and Balenciaga, and later he was given a position at the fashion houses of Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche.
Upon his return to Italy, he established his own fashion house in Rome. Giancarlo Giammetti, whom he met in 1960, became his business partner and lover for 12 years.
Valentino was best known for his trademark red dresses. He became an internationally recognised fashion figure after Jackie Kennedy bought six of his designs in the year following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Later, for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis, she wore a Valentino dress, which has become a milestone in the history of fashion and a key moment that marked his name in fashion history.
Valentino Garavani on Being Who He is in the World of Beauty and the Legacy
Valentino Garavani was probably the designer who knew his audience the best. “I know what women want,” he declared in a 2008 documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor, while pondering the secret of his long-lasting triumphant career. “They want to be beautiful.”
But he was a figure in pop culture still very much alive and famous. Among the most famous images of Valentino was one in 2006 when he played himself in the movie The Devil Wears Prada. In 2008, only two years, he became the focus of an excellent documentary that really praised his career and his incredible talent as a creative genius, Valentino: The Last Emperor.
The documentary reveals some of the designer’s closest and most loyal fans who are a real A-list, such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Hurley and Sarah Jessica Parker, as well as the designer’s six pugs, a move that seals the legend of an incredible designer whose charm and impact are everlasting.
Valentino’s Farewell: Retirement, Last Couture Show, and Loving Tributes
Valentino Garavani made a retirement announcement in 2007, declaring that it was the right moment for a change of scene. “At this point, I have come to a decision that this is the perfect moment to say goodbye to fashion world,” he stated, according to The New York Times. “As the English say, I would like to leave the party when it is still full.”
Looking back on his career, Valentino added, “I have been very fortunate to have been able to do what I have been passionate about all my life. Few things can be a greater gift than that.”
His last haute couture presentation was held in January 2008 at Musée Rodin, Paris, an emotional, star-filled occasion that left many of the audience visibly moved. “I totally started to cry — it was so incredible,” Blake Lively told PEOPLE after that. “It was just so special to be here. I felt like I was here for something historic.” Uma Thurman picked up the same vibe as she said, “I was so sad to see it end. He’s one of the most elegant designers of our time.”
Valentino’s Honors and Final Years
During his illustrious career of many decades, Valentino Garavani was lucky enough to be greeted with some of the most prestigious awards and honors, not only in the world of fashion but also from outside it.
Jacques Chirac, the French president at the time, presented Valentino with the Chevalier de la Légion d’honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour) in July 2006. Afterwards, in 2008, the city of Paris decorated him with a Medal. At a later date, in 2011, the Museum at FIT bestowed upon him the Couture Council Award for Artistry of Fashion, and in 2017, the American Academy of Achievement equally acknowledged him with the Golden Plate Award.
Valentino on the personal side, had been in love with Bruce Hoeksema, who was once the vice president of the Valentino fashion house, for more than forty years. They started living together in 1982 and have been loving partners till the time of the designer’s demise.
