Renowned Italian Fashion Designer Valentino Garavani Passes Away At 93

Italian fashion designer and mogul behind the Valentino brand, Valentino Garavani, passed away at the age of 93 on Monday, according to Variety.

The designer’s foundation, Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, announced the news on social media, writing, “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones.”

While sharing the details of his funeral, the foundation wrote, “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 11 am.”

According to Variety, the Italian designer Valentino Garavani founded his company in 1960 in Rome and quickly became known for his red dresses, a shade that became known as “Valentino red.”

The brand rose to prominence when First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began wearing his designs in 1964, ordering six of his couture dresses in black and white to wear following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Garavani then designed her wedding gown for Aristotle Onassis.

The dress’s high neck, lace top and above-the-knee cut helped to solidify both her and Valentino as style icons.

Garavani also had a relationship with cinema, not only dressing celebrities but appearing as himself in the beloved 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada” alongside Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep.

In 2008, a feature-length documentary about his career and life, titled “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

The cause of death is still not revealed. (ANI)