“An Artist With a Rare Sensitivity”: the Fashion World Remembers Valentino Garavani
On January 19, Valentino Garavani, the designer who built an empire on glamour and a singular shade of red, died at 93. Known as fashion’s “Last Emperor,” Garavani “peacefully passed away today at his residence in Rome surrounded by the love of his family,” according to a statement released by the Valentino Garavani Foundation and Giancarlo Giammetti. Almost immediately, tributes poured in from all corners of the fashion world: designers, editors, actors, and muses.
Anne Hathaway, one of Garavni’s foremost celebrity muses, penned an emotional tribute to the designer on Instagram. She included photos with Garavani at the 2013 Met Gala, the 2011 Oscars, and from her 2009 wedding.
“For the last twenty years, it has been my extraordinary honor to have known, loved and been cared for by the great Valentino Garavani. He is a beloved, world-renown, Titan of a designer, but he was also my dear and cherished friend who educated me, raised me, sent me flowers every year on my birthday, made me laugh, was my dancing and karaoke partner on so many joyful nights, and who made my world so much brighter, grander and more delightful than I could have ever understood it to be. When I was married in 2012, he offered to make me a custom couture wedding dress, a gesture so generous it still brings tears to my eyes.”
Gwyneth Paltrow, a frequent Valentino muse, shared a sweet selfie with the Italian legend. “I was so lucky to know and love Valentino-to know the real man, in private,” she wrote. “The man who was in love with beauty, his family, his muses, his friends. His dogs, his gardens, and a good Hollywood story. I loved him so much. I loved how he always pestered me to ‘at least wear a little mascara’ when I came to dinner. I loved his naughty laugh.This feels like the end of an era. He will be deeply missed by me and all who loved him. Rest in peace, Vava”
Jennifer Lopez, who famously wore a Jackie O-inspired Valentino dress to the 2003 Oscars, shared an Instagram story with the words “Rest in peace sweet sweet Valentino.” Garavani also designed Lopez’s 2001 bridal dress for her wedding to Cris Judd.
Sarah Jessica Parker noted Garavani’s “extraordinary talent,” saying “So many memories. So happy to recall. Of course, wish I had more.”
Parker’s Sex and the City co-star Kim Cattrall shared a photo of the red dress she wore at the 2003 Golden Globes to her Instagram story with the words, “Thank you Mr. Valentino for always inspiring me. I shall never forget this night in your ‘little red dress.’ Rest in peace.
Also among those to pay their respects were a legion of supermodels—most notably, Linda Evangelista, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, and Gisele Bündchen—who defined the Valentino runway over the decades. “Mr. Valentino, thank you for the many wonderful memories of not only working with you, but the opportunity to experience your talent and elegance first hand. Rest in Peace,” Evangelista said.
Schiffer recalled an anecdote about working with Garavani on a 1995 advertising shoot. “One of my favorite campaigns was in Rome where I became Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita, a memory I will cherish forever,” she said.
Crawford echoed both Evangelista and Schiffer’s sentiments. “I’m heartbroken to hear of Valentino Garavani’s passing. He was a true master of his craft, and I will always be grateful for the years I had the privilege of working closely with him.”
“Valentino was a true genius, an artist with a rare sensitivity and grace,” wrote Bündchen. “One of my favorite memories will always be the fittings before his shows. Normally, you’d have time for about four outfit changes, but he would sometimes give me seven. I would always wonder, how am I going to make this happen? And even though I was half disheveled from changing so fast, barely making it and running out of breath every time I stepped back onto the runway, I just wanted to make it happen for him because he was always so excited to have me wear those looks.”
Especially heartfelt were the messages written by Garavani’s successors, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Alessandro Michele. Piccioli served at the helm of the brand from 2008 until 2024 and was succeeded by Michele.
“So you decided it was time,” Piccioli began his detail tribute, which included stories about the lessons he from the late designer. “I can accept your absence, but never your death. Memory, remembrance and love remain with us forever, and I believe this is how we never truly abandon those we love. I will come to say goodbye, elegant and composed, aware of your gaze upon me (I will undoubtedly misstep somewhere). Around me there will be immaculate order, yet I will know that behind such precision lived an unexpected lightness.”
Michele penned his noted in Italian, which read “I am in deep sorrow. A wonderful man passes away today. Valentino Garavani was not only an undisputed fashion star, but a central figure in Italian cultural history. A man who stretched the boundaries of the possible, crossing the world with a rare gentleness, with a silent punishment and with a boundless love for beauty.”
