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Fashion Designer Valentino Garavani Dies at 93

Did Valentino build timeless elegance for women, or an exclusive empire for the ultra-wealthy elite?

Published JAN 19

Fashion Designer Valentino Garavani Dies at 93

Story

Above: Valentino Garavani during Paris Fashion Week in Paris, France, on July 3, 2019. Image credit: Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

The Facts

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani died at the age of 93 at his home in Rome on Monday, surrounded by his family. He co-founded the Valentino fashion house in 1960 and became one of the pillars of 20th century fashion alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld.
Townhall
BBC News
NBC
Valentino's creations were worn by celebrities and well-known figures, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett. Jackie Kennedy wore a white Valentino gown for her wedding to Aristotle Onassis in 1968.
Vogue
BBC News
The Wall Street Journal
Born in Lombardy in May 1932, Valentino moved to Paris at age 17 to study at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. He worked with Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche before establishing his own maison in Rome.
The New York Times
BBC News
The Telegraph
Valentino created "Valentino red" after being inspired by a trip to Spain, where he saw women in red at an opera. The color became such a meaningful element for the house that all models wore red dresses for the finale of his last collection in 2007.
The Wall Street Journal
BBC News
Vogue
Valentino met Giancarlo Giammetti in 1960 at a café in Rome when Giammetti was an architecture student. The two became partners romantically and professionally, with Giammetti handling the business side while Valentino focused on design for nearly 50 years.
NBC
The Telegraph
Valentino and Giammetti sold the company for $300 million in 1998 to an Italian holding company, though Valentino remained in a design role until his retirement in 2008. He was honored with the outstanding achievement award at the British Fashion Awards in December 2023.
The Telegraph
BBC News
The New York Times

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

Valentino built an unmatched legacy by staying true to timeless elegance and feminine grace, refusing to chase fleeting trends while dressing the world's most powerful women. His unwavering commitment to classic beauty and luxury proved that real fashion transcends politics and cultural fads — creating garments that celebrated women. His iconic success came from understanding that true style means making women feel beautiful and confident, not pushing ideological agendas through clothing.

Vogue

The Telegraph

The Business of Fashion on X

Narrative B

Valentino's empire was built on extreme wealth and exclusivity that catered only to the ultra-rich, with Valentino openly dismissing working women and admitting his clients "do not work," but merely engage in charity. Behind the glamorous facade lay an operation sustained by exploiting licensing deals and maintaining an unsustainable luxury bubble, complete with armed guards and bulletproof cars. The brand's survival depended less on design innovation and more on business manipulation and elite relationships.