Valentino, the Roman couturier who loved red

An emblem of the 1960s dolce vita, couturier Valentino Garavani died on Monday at the age of 93. He invented a Roman haute couture with sensual and timeless lines, dressing the world's greatest icons for nearly half a century.

From Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn to Julia Roberts and Gwyneth Paltrow, Valentino specialised in dressing Hollywood's elite, often forming friendships with his muses. His address book included global high society: Lady Diana; Nancy Reagan; and Jackie Kennedy, who secured his worldwide fame.

An aesthete with an eternal tan, he led a lavish life, travelling with his five pugs on his private jet between his Roman palace, his castle near Paris, and his 50-metre yacht.

Parisian apprenticeship and obsession with beauty

Born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera to a middle-class family, the young Valentino quickly developed a passion for fashion. “I’ve had this affliction since I was a child; I only like beautiful things,” he confided to Elle magazine. “I don’t like to see women in garish makeup and shapeless trousers. It’s a sign of a lack of self-respect.”

At 17, he left Italy for Paris to study at the Beaux-Arts and the Chambre syndicale de la couture. Influenced by Christian Dior's aesthetic—the cinched waist and stiletto heels—he joined the house of Jean Dessès in 1952, followed by Guy Laroche in 1957. His peers were astonished when he decided to return to Rome in 1959. “Rome was nothing; it was provincial by comparison!” recalled stylist Jacqueline de Ribes.

Imperial red and global ascent

It was in the Eternal City that he founded his house in 1960 with Giancarlo Giammetti, his companion and steadfast partner. Giammetti would go on to transform the label into an international empire. “Being Valentino’s friend, lover and employee for over 45 years requires a great deal of patience,” Giammetti joked in the documentary Valentino: The Last Emperor.

In the 1960s, Rome became an outpost of Hollywood thanks to the Cinecittà studios, and stars flocked to his atelier. He presented his first collection in Florence in 1962, which was marked by his emblematic “Valentino” red. His meeting with Jackie Kennedy in 1964 was the turning point of his career. She chose one of his ivory creations to marry Aristotle Onassis in 1968, sparking immense success in the US.

Legacy of grace and craftsmanship

As a standard-bearer for Italian haute couture, Valentino successfully combined Italian craftsmanship, French technique and American business acumen. His entirely hand-sewn creations followed the silhouette to create a regal look. For him, “a woman must turn heads when she enters a room”.

He received the Legion of Honour in Paris in 2006 and celebrated his 45-year career in style, before retiring in January 2008. As Giancarlo Giammetti stated at the time: “Valentino will be the last of a line of great names to have put his name to a brand capable of distinguishing the past from the present.”