The famous Italian designer and founder of the Valentino fashion house, Valentino Garavani, passed away at the age of 93, as reported by WWD. His death occurred on January 19 in Rome, surrounded by family and loved ones. Farewell to Garavani will take place at Minyanelli Square on January 21 and 22, with the funeral scheduled for Friday at 11:00 AM local time at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, according to the publication.
Valentino was born on May 11, 1932, in the town of Voghera in northern Italy. At the age of 17, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the School of Fine Arts and the Syndicate of High Fashion. In 1959, he returned to Rome, and a year later, together with Giancarlo Giammetti, he founded his fashion house.
The first significant show that attracted foreign clients took place in 1962 in Florence. Among the first clients was Jacqueline Kennedy, who in 1964 ordered six dresses for mourning her husband, the assassinated U.S. President John Kennedy.
In 1998, Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti sold the Valentino brand to the Italian conglomerate HdP for $300 million, and in 2002 it was acquired by Marzotto Appareli. In 2007, Valentino announced the end of his fashion career after his final show in Paris.
