Italian fashion great Valentino dies at 93

Monday, 19 January 2026 21:25

By Reuters

Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died, his foundation said on Monday.

Usually known only by his first name, Valentino was 93, and had retired in 2008.

Founder of the eponymous brand, Valentino scaled the heights of haute couture, created a business empire and introduced a new colour to the fashion world, the so-called 'Valentino Red'.

"Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones," the foundation said on Instagram.

The lying in state will be on Wednesday and Thursday, while the funeral will take place in Rome on Friday at 11:00 am (1000 GMT), it added.

Valentino was ranked alongside Giorgio Armani and Karl Lagerfeld as the last of the great designers from an era before fashion became a global, highly commercial industry run as much by accountants and marketing executives as the couturiers.

Lagerfeld passed away in 2019, while Armani died in September 2025.

View this post on Instagram

More from Entertainment

It's a love story: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are married

Pop music megastar Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce are married, the singer's publicist confirmed as guests attended a star-studded celebration at Madison Square Garden in New York that capped a three-year love story.
Madonna releases 15th studio album 'Confessions II'

Pop superstar Madonna released her fifteenth studio album on Friday, 'Confessions II', a sequel to 2005's 'Confessions on a Dancefloor', to acclaim, with critics calling it her best record in two decades.
Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce married ahead of NY celebration, report says

Pop music megastar Taylor Swift and National Football League player Travis Kelce are married, the New York Post's Page Six reported on Thursday, citing multiple unnamed sources amid preparations for an expected celebration at New York's Madison Square Garden.
Sony to end discs for new PlayStation releases as gaming shifts online

Sony said it will stop producing physical discs for all new games released on PlayStation consoles from January 2028, marking ‌a full shift to digital distribution as consumer purchases continue to move online.