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Valentino Garavani, Haute Couture Icon behind Valentino Red, Dies at 93

Lifestyle and Fashion

Business Honor
20 January, 2026

Legendary Italian designer Valentino Garavani, creator of Valentino Red, dressed Hollywood stars and shaped fashion and lifestyle for decades.

Iconic Italian fashion designer and “emperor” of haute couture, Valentino Garavani, is now at rest at age 93 at his home in Rome. Iconic for designing the “Valentino Red," which has a carmine scarlet color bestowed on him from his inspiration – “that very elegant old lady who used to sit at opera house seats at Barcelona.” Not many people can forget his jackets adorned with artificial, brightly-colored feathers.

Valentino launched in 1959 with a strapless cocktail dress in draped tulle, and Valentino red has, for decades, occupied a prominent place in Valentino’s designs. “I think that a woman in red is always wonderful, she’s the perfect image for a heroine,” Valentino has written in Rosso (Red), published in 2022. Valentino dressed the most beautiful women in Hollywood, including Elizabeth Taylor, Sharon Stone, and Penelope Cruz, in addition to designing dresses for Jackie Kennedy.

Valentino was born in Voghera, Italy. He trained in couture in Milan and Paris under designer Jean Dessès before opening his fashion house in Rome in 1960. Also in 1960, actress Elizabeth Taylor appeared at the premiere of the movie Spartacus wearing a white Valentino dress. Designing was his prime focus with, the management dealt by his life partner, Giancarlo Giammetti.

His romantic and intricately designed creations, such as georgette fabrics, chiffon ruffles, and the distinctive budellini method, brought him many rewards, including the highest award for a civilian in France in 2006. Valentino continued to support the arts, including the establishment of his PM23 gallery in Rome in 2025, paying tribute to his iconic color, red.

Valentino’s influence as a fashion and cultural icon has remained paramount even today; his designs continue to influence some of the most elegant designers in the fashion and lifestyle industry.