Valentino

Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani (Italian: [valenˈtiːno ɡaraˈvaːni]; 11 May 1932 – 19 January 2026), known mononymously as Valentino, was an Italian fashion designer who founded Valentino S.p.A., a luxury fashion house, in 1960 and served as its creative director until 2007. A flamboyant designer noted for his retro pieces and celebrity collaborations, he is regarded as one of the preeminent figures in haute couture.

Born in Voghera, Valentino apprenticed in fashion design at a young age before moving to Paris to continue his studies. After attending the Beaux-Arts de Paris and the École de la Chambre Syndicale, he began his career at Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche, later returning to Rome to work under Emilio Schuberth and Vincenzo Ferdinandi. He had opened his own fashion house on Via Condotti in 1960, achieving international recognition during the mid‑1960s. The Valentino brand continued to establish itself as a leading force in high fashion throughout the 1970s and 1980s, at one point becoming the best-selling Italian fashion export. He was the first Italian designer to feature on Parisian haute couture catwalks. His work further established itself as a staple of celebrity culture during the 1990s.

Valentino and his partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, sold the company to HdP Group for US$300 million in 1998. He presented his final haute couture show in 2008, having stepped down as creative director the previous year. He was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1986 and a Knight of the Order of Merit for Labour in 1996, and was also made a Knight of the Legion of Honour and a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France, where he received the Medal of the City of Paris.