Fashion mourns Valentino Garavani; funeral to be held in Rome on Friday

Valentino Garavani passed away peacefully today at his home in Rome, surrounded by his loved ones. The announcement was made in a statement by the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation.

He will lie in state at Pm23, located at Piazza Mignanelli 23 in Rome. This will take place on January 21 and January 22, from 11am to 6pm.

Funeral to be held on Friday, January 23, in Rome

The funeral will be held on Friday, January 23, at 11am at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, in Piazza della Repubblica 8, Rome.

The designer was born in Voghera on May 11, 1932. After studying in Milan, he moved to Paris in 1949, where he attended the École des Beaux-Arts and the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne. Shortly after, he began an internship with Jean Dessès. In 1960, on Via Veneto, he met 22-year-old architecture student Giancarlo Giammetti. This marked the beginning of a lifelong partnership. In 1962, the brand debuted in Florence.

Founded in Rome in 1960 by Valentino Garavani, Valentino remains one of Italy's most recognised luxury houses today. The label has a strong heritage and a high-end luxury positioning in haute couture. It also offers a ready-to-wear portfolio of clothing, leather goods, and accessories that appeal to a loyal clientele and celebrities.

One of his most famous quotes: "I know what women want. They want to be beautiful"

Recently on the Instagram account "Realmrvalentino", Garavani revisited the house's iconic moments. The latest photo published shows him on the catwalk in Paris in 1991, hand in hand with Yasmeen Ghauri. Another photo shows Pat Cleveland wearing a pink chiffon dress from the autumn/winter 1974 collection.

50 years have passed, and the brand has changed hands from one designer to another. What is certain is that when designing his collections, as he often recounted, women were at the forefront of his thoughts. His desire was to make them beautiful. As he said in the documentary film 'Valentino: The Last Emperor': "I know what women want. They want to be beautiful"