A Fashion Editor's eulogy to Valentino Garavani

Celebrated fashion designer Valentino Garavani has passed away in Rome aged 93 surrounded by his loved ones. 

The sad news was shared via Instagram along with the fashion icon's funeral plans: "The lying in state will be held at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23 on Wednesday January 21st and Thursday January 22nd, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm."

"The funeral will take place on Friday, January 23rd at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, in Piazza della Repubblica 8 in Rome, at 11am."

© Corbis Via Getty Images

And so the fashion world mourns. Valentino Garavani was born in Italy and took to Paris, the global home of fashion to train with designers like Balenciaga before opening his first atelier in Rome, 1959.

The label Valentino was founded the following year and quickly found the attention of the decade's style stars including Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor. 

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Known for their elegant lines and sophisticated silhouettes, it was the brand's 1962 haute couture collection that catapulted them onto the global stage.  

Other notable collections included the 'No Colour' collection of 1967 and the birth of Rosso Valentino, a deep red hue inspired by an opera singer that would pepper his collections for years to come. 

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His impact will be greatly missed. As H! Fashion's Deputy Digital Editor Lauren Ramsay comments: "Valentino Garavani’s loss will be mourned throughout the fashion world and beyond. While iconic designs such as the legendary La Fiesta dress and Princess Diana’s post-divorce corseted midi will forever be engrained in fashion history, for me, it is his wedding dresses that truly capture his genius. 

"From Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s impeccably elegant lace gown to Anne Hathaway’s ethereal chiffon dress, he created extraordinary bridal dresses that will continue to inspire generations to come."

In 2024, celebrated designer Alessandro Michele was given the creative director top spot at the label after a triumphant run at fellow Italian fashion house Gucci. Valentino's most recent collection to strut down the SS26 runway showcased zingy colour combinations and smatterings of sequins. 

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As H! Fashion's Style Editor Orion Scott notes: "An icon and luminary in his craft, Valentino created some of the fashion spheres most notable looks to date: "From Elizabeth Taylor's yellow lace wedding gown to his love affair with ruby red which continues to reign supreme amongst It-girls around the globe, the late Italian designer will be sorely missed in the fashion community."

His sartorial championing of womanhood will go down in the fashion history books" "Upon hearing the phrase ‘unapologetic glamour,’ few names spring to mind before Valentino - if any," says H! Fashion's Fashion Features Editor Tania Leslau. "The Italian designer was celebrated for his hyper-feminine designs which famously drew the eye of Jackie Kennedy. Fluid drapery, architectural influences, grandiose embellishments, romantic structures and gown silhouettes paid homage to the modern woman, with the brand giving French luxury a run for its money come 1962. The designer truly designed for women, with his loyal A-list clients speaking volumes. Valentino’s signature celebration of powerful femininity is his legacy - one that continues to define the apex of luxury womenswear as Miranda Priestly’s Rockstud heels attest. In the ever-iconic words of Emily Charlton: “I refuse to be sick. I’m wearing Valentino, for crying out loud.”