Valentino Garavani, the man who showed the world the power of red

The world has been painted red. Not just any red, but Valentino red. A colour so specific, so emotionally charged, that it transcends fabric and trend to become pure fashion folklore. Whether you are deeply immersed in style or merely an observer from afar, there is one thing you know without question. Valentino red exists. You may own it, admire it from a distance, or dream of wearing it one day, but it is impossible to be unaware of its power. With the passing of Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani at 93, fashion does not just lose a designer, it loses an era defined by beauty, art and magic.

From Voghera to the world

Born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, a small town south of Milan, Valentino was raised far from the salons and palazzi he would one day inhabit. His father ran an electrical supply business, but Valentino’s imagination was wired differently from the start. After studying fashion in Paris, he returned to Italy, working under Emilio Schuberth and Vincenzo Ferdinandi before opening his own couture house in Rome in 1960 on Via Condotti. It was there that Valentino built one of the most influential couture houses outside Paris, proving that Italian elegance could rival any capital of fashion.

That same year, he met Giancarlo Giammetti, who would become his partner for 12 years and later continue as his business partner even after their personal relationship ended. This meeting would shape not only the brand’s success but its enduring sense of discipline, grandeur, and longevity.

The birth of “Valentino Red”

The colour that would define his legacy arrived almost by accident. In 1959, Valentino was struck by the sight of women dressed in crimson at the opera Carmen in Barcelona. The way red set them apart from the crowd stayed with him. Soon, a red gown became the closing punctuation of every collection, a visual signature that audiences came to expect. Valentino once described it as a logo, an iconic value, a nonfading mark. Red, he said, was his lucky colour, and fashion history agreed.

Dressing with power, grace, and femininity

Valentino dressed women at their most visible moments. Jacqueline Kennedy chose him for her 1968 wedding to Aristotle Onassis. Farah Diba wore Valentino while fleeing Iran in 1979. Bernadette Chirac turned to him on the day her husband became president of France. Hollywood followed with equal devotion. Elizabeth Taylor, Julia Roberts, and Cate Blanchett all wore Valentino for career-defining appearances, each gown etched into collective memory.

Yet his genius lay not only in celebrity dressing but in his understanding of how clothes make women feel. His silhouettes were commanding yet romantic, featuring sharply tailored jackets paired with miniskirts, fluid goddess gowns, and oversized coats rendered in rich colours and textures. Whether worn at the White House or Studio 54, his designs carried the same authority.

An emperor’s exit

Valentino built a fashion empire, became the first designer brand listed on the Milan stock exchange, and achieved something rare in fashion: a graceful exit. Dubbed the last emperor, he retired in 2008, handing over the house to Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. His final couture show closed with models dressed uniformly in Valentino red, greeted by a standing ovation that felt less like applause and more like gratitude.

Valentino Garavani’s greatest contribution was not just the dresses, the palaces, or the myth of luxury he embodied. It was the feeling. To wear Valentino was, is, and always will be to feel exceptional, confident, and unforgettable. As the world mourns his passing, his legacy remains vividly alive, shimmering in silk, standing tall in red, and reminding us that true talent, passion, and groundbreaking fashion live on, even after the creator is gone. 

All images: Getty Images

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