Legendary Italian designer and creative Valentino Garavani, known mononymously as Valentino, has died at the age of 93. The news was announced in a statement from the foundation created by Valentino and his longtime business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti, which went on to say that he passed at his Roman residence, surrounded by loved ones.
The news of Valentino’s passing comes months after the death of another giant of Italian fashion, Giorgio Armani. Valentino’s legacy in the fashion world is similarly vast and difficult to overstate. To many, his name and brand were synonymous with a timeless glamour that was refreshingly unapologetic in its devotion to beauty. “I love beauty,” he once stated. “It is not my fault. And I know what women want: they want to be beautiful.”
As for the women Valentino knew so well, their stories span decades. Since the founding of his eponymous label in 1960, Valentino developed enduring professional and personal relationships with many prominent women, from Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His love of fashion was borne of the silver screen—he often cited the 1941 musical Ziegfeld Girl, and its stars Hedy Lamarr, Judy Garland, and Lana Turner, as the impetus behind his decision to become a fashion designer.
Though his approach to fashion was rooted in Old Hollywood glamour, Valentino’s ability to create truly showstopping red carpet moments continued into the 21st century, earning him the trust of stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Julia Roberts, and Cate Blanchett. Blanchett’s Valentino gown at the 2005 Academy Awards, a pale yellow taffeta creation—iconic enough to deserve its own Wikipedia page—is often named one of the best Oscars dresses of all time.
Unsurprisingly, the public outpouring of grief following Valentino’s passing was instantaneous. Pierpaolo Piccioli, the former creative director of Valentino, the label, commented two broken heart emojis under the Valentino Foundation’s statement. Piccioli’s successor, creative director Alessandro Michele, soon posted a heartfelt statement claiming he still felt Valentino’s gaze resting over his work at the maison. Be it from industry peers like Donatella Versace or muses like Gwyneth Paltrow and Cindy Crawford, the response to Valentino’s passing only reinforces his vast and enduring influence.
Below, take a look at the touching tributes to Valentino Garavani from those who knew and loved him.
Maison Valentino
Gwyneth Paltrow
Giancarlo Giammetti
Alessandro Michele
Cindy Crawford
Donatella Versace
Sarah Jessica Parker
Linda Evangelista
Giorgia Meloni
Coco Rocha
Carla Bruni
Claudia Schiffer
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The post “The End Of An Era”: The Fashion World Reacts To Valentino Garavani’s Passing appeared first on Grazia Singapore.
