Valentino Garavani, Designer of Regal Italian Glamour, Dies at 93

Valentino Garavani, the Italian couturier who built a global house of high glamour and was often called “the last emperor,” died on Monday at his home in Rome. He was 93, and his death was announced in a statement by his foundation. Mr. Garavani founded his namesake company in 1959 and became known for a disciplined pursuit of beauty, a movable court of clients and the signature shade of Valentino red.

Dubbed “the last emperor” in a 2008 documentary and “the Sheik of chic” by John Fairchild, he helped define Italian style for generations and was praised by figures such as Walter Veltroni, who said, according to a 2005 profile, “In Italy, there is the Pope — and there is Valentino.” He dressed royalty and celebrities across decades, creating the cream lace dress Jacqueline Kennedy wore for her marriage to Aristotle Onassis in 1968, the sable-collared suit Farah Diba wore in 1979, and gowns worn by Bernadette Chirac, Elizabeth Taylor, Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett at notable public moments.

With his longtime partner and business manager Giancarlo Giammetti, he expanded the brand through perfumes, extensive licensing and by becoming the first designer name quoted on the Milan stock exchange; he and Mr. Giammetti sold the company in 1998 for a reported $300 million and it later changed hands several times, including a 2012 purchase by the Qatari fund Mayhoola for Investments.

Mr.

Key Topics

Culture, Valentino Garavani, Valentino Brand, Giancarlo Giammetti, Rome, Valentino Red