Italian fashion icon Valentino Garavani has passed away at the age of 93, leaving behind a legacy of timeless elegance and bold high-fashion designs that captivated the world's most style-conscious women.
Born in Voghera, Italy on May 11, 1932, Garavani began his illustrious career in fashion after attending school in Paris. In 1960, he founded his eponymous brand with business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, and it wasn't long before he gained international recognition for his signature "Valentino red" dresses.
Garavani's designs quickly became a staple of Old Hollywood glamour, with many A-list celebrities donning his creations on the red carpet. Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most notable fans, wearing a Valentino gown to the premiere of 1960's "Spartacus," while Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ordered six custom dresses from Garavani after President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.
The designer also dressed many other high-profile women, including Joan Collins, who became his Hollywood favorite, and more recently, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox, and Nicola Peltz Beckham, for whom he designed custom wedding dresses.
In addition to his fashion prowess, Garavani appeared as himself in the 2006 film "The Devil Wears Prada," alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. A feature-length documentary about his life and career, titled "Valentino: The Last Emperor," premiered at the Venice Film Festival following his retirement in January 2008.
Garavani's own words captured the essence of his design philosophy: "This was the best thing, for me to create dresses... I am a disaster at everything else." He will be deeply missed by the fashion world and those who had the privilege of knowing him.
Born in Voghera, Italy on May 11, 1932, Garavani began his illustrious career in fashion after attending school in Paris. In 1960, he founded his eponymous brand with business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, and it wasn't long before he gained international recognition for his signature "Valentino red" dresses.
Garavani's designs quickly became a staple of Old Hollywood glamour, with many A-list celebrities donning his creations on the red carpet. Elizabeth Taylor was one of the most notable fans, wearing a Valentino gown to the premiere of 1960's "Spartacus," while Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis ordered six custom dresses from Garavani after President John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963.
The designer also dressed many other high-profile women, including Joan Collins, who became his Hollywood favorite, and more recently, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, Courteney Cox, and Nicola Peltz Beckham, for whom he designed custom wedding dresses.
In addition to his fashion prowess, Garavani appeared as himself in the 2006 film "The Devil Wears Prada," alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. A feature-length documentary about his life and career, titled "Valentino: The Last Emperor," premiered at the Venice Film Festival following his retirement in January 2008.
Garavani's own words captured the essence of his design philosophy: "This was the best thing, for me to create dresses... I am a disaster at everything else." He will be deeply missed by the fashion world and those who had the privilege of knowing him.
93 is old but he still managed to make everyone feel like queens 
his designs were iconic and timeless, loved how he didn't follow trends, just created what he wanted. RIP 
valentino will be deeply missed
like he's still making waves in the fashion world, not just his legacy. i remember watching The Devil Wears Prada back in the day and thinking "that's Valentino, I get it now". i love how he dressed all those iconic women, Joan Collins must've been his favorite lolololol but for real though his designs are timeless, still giving us red carpet vibes today 
. cant believe he's gone 
. It's crazy that he lived through so much history and still managed to leave his mark on the fashion world. I mean, who else can say they dressed up Elizabeth Taylor and Joan Collins? 
Those red carpet moments are iconic.
. All I know is that we'll miss seeing what Valentino came up with next. He was truly one of a kind 
.
Valentino Garavani was literally the OG fashion designer - his legacy is still going strong even after he's gone 
. i mean, who can forget that iconic "Valentino red" dress? it's a timeless classic 
. and can you believe all those A-list ladies wore his designs on the red carpet? elizabeth taylor, jacqueline kennedy onassis... they're truly fashion icons 
, but we know he was a genius behind the scenes 
. anyway, rest in peace valentino - your designs will live on forever 
#ValentinoGaravaniRIP #FashionIcon #TimelessElegance
Valentino Garavani's passing is like losing an old friend - it's hard to believe that someone who made us all look and feel fabulous for so long is gone 
. I mean, 93 is no joke, but at the same time, his legacy will live on through all those iconic dresses and red carpet moments 
his designs were truly iconic & timeless 
what i love about his legacy is that it wasn't just about him, but the women who wore those incredible dresses 
anyways, rest in peace, Valentino 
. it's going to be hard for us to see who will fill the shoes (or should i say, gowns?) of such an iconic designer 
), we have a history of celebrating the lives and legacies of icons who made us proud. Just look at Steve Jobs, he went out on his own terms and left behind a revolutionary legacy that changed the world.
. Who benefits from the designer label? The designer or the retailer? And what does that say about our society as a whole?
, his designs were always like, so iconic and stunning 
and thinking, who is this amazing designer 
?! He was like the ultimate fashion icon, creating these gorgeous gowns for old-school Hollywood stars 
. I love how he said being a disaster at everything else 
. And can you believe he was only 93?! He's been around for so long, and yet, his style still holds up to this day 
That quote of his at the end is everything - humility and confidence all mixed together 
. He may be gone but his designs will live on forever 
he was so lucky to have lived such an amazing life, 93 is like old age in fashion years lol! i mean, can u imagine having been part of so many iconic moments? elizabeth taylor and jacqueline kennedy onassis walking the red carpet wearing his designs? mind. blown 
and who can forget that hilarious cameo in the devil wears prada movie? meryl streep was just joking around with him! 
his legacy lives on through all the amazing women he dressed over the years, like Elizabeth Taylor and Jennifer Lopez 
i love that he was humble about his talents, too - "I am a disaster at everything else" 
! 93 is old for a person, but for someone who's lived as fabulous as he did, I think that's still pretty impressive 
. I mean, can you imagine being able to design dresses for icons like Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy? 
That's some serious A-list status right there! 
. RIP Valentino 
what can you say about his designs? they're so iconic and classic, its like he took all the glamour of old hollywood and put it into fabric 
Valentino Garavani is gone 
His legacy will live on through the iconic dresses he designed for A-listers like Elizabeth Taylor and Anne Hathaway 
that's why we still get to see his beautiful designs today 
What I'd love to create, though... a timeline of his life in fashion 
It's like having a taste of Old Hollywood glamour in every stitch. I'm so glad he got to see how much impact his work had on people's lives, especially with that documentary about him... it was like he was giving us permission to love fashion as much as we do