Valentino Garavani, Fashion Designer Who Built a Global Luxury House, Dies at 93

Valentino Garavani, Fashion Designer Who Built a Global Luxury House, Dies at 93

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani, the Italian fashion designer who founded the Valentino fashion house and helped shape postwar haute couture, died on January 19, 2026, in Rome. He was 93. 

His death was reported by The New York Times and confirmed by the Valentino Foundation.

Garavani was born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, Italy. He studied fashion in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne before returning to Italy. In 1960, he established his fashion house in Rome with his business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti.

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The Valentino label grew from a couture salon into an international luxury brand, producing haute couture, ready-to-wear collections, accessories, and fragrances. Garavani’s work was worn by clients across Europe and the United States, and the brand became a fixture on international runways and red carpets.

Garavani retired from active design in 2008, presenting his final couture collection in Paris. He remained associated with the brand through the Valentino Foundation and various cultural projects.

Garavani, who lived primarily in Rome and maintained residences in Italy and France, received numerous honors during his career, including Italy’s Cavaliere di Gran Croce and France’s Légion d’Honneur, recognizing his contributions to fashion and design.

This obituary was written in conjunction with Chat GPT.

PHOTO: Valentino CC 4.0/JoeJDunn
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