Valentino: the timeless elegance of Italian fashion

Valentino Garavani, an Icon of Italian Fashion

Valentino Garavani was one of the most famous Italian fashion designers in the world.
He was born in Voghera on May 11, 1932, and died in Rome on January 19, 2026, at the age of 93.

His story is special because it began with simple origins: his father was an electrician.
Thanks to talent, study, and great determination, Valentino built an extraordinary career on his own.

As a young man, he dreamed of beauty. For this reason, he studied fashion first in Milan and then in Paris, where he learned French elegance.
In 1959 he returned to Rome and opened his atelier together with Giancarlo Giammetti, his life and work partner: Valentino designed the clothes, while Giammetti managed and guided the fashion house. This partnership was essential to the brand’s success.

His style was elegant, precise, and timeless. He dressed actresses, divas, and princesses, but always remained faithful to his own idea of beauty.
The most famous symbol of his style is Valentino red, a bright and intense color inspired—according to his own story—by the memory of a woman dressed in red seen at the opera in Barcelona.

For Valentino, fashion was not only luxury, but also dream, joy, and protection.
In 2007 he said goodbye to the runways with a grand event in Rome. From that moment on, he was called “The Last Emperor” of fashion.
His style, made of timeless beauty, still lives on today.