Italian PM Giorgia Meloni pays tribute to Valentino Garavani

ROME: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed grief over the demise of legendary designer Valentino Garavani.

Taking to X. Meloni wrote,”Valentino, undisputed master of style and elegance and eternal symbol of Italian high fashion. Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything”.

Valentino, maestro indiscusso di stile ed eleganza e simbolo eterno dell’alta moda italiana.
Oggi l’Italia perde una leggenda, ma la sua eredità continuerà a ispirare generazioni. Grazie di tutto. pic.twitter.com/hN5afQFSnp

— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) January 19, 2026

Valentino Garavani passed away at the age of 93 on Monday. The designer’s foundation, Fondazione Valentino Garavani e Giancarlo Giammetti, announced the news on social media, writing, “Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones”.

While sharing the details of his funeral, the foundation wrote, “The lying in state will be held at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23 on Wednesday, January 21st and Thursday, January 22nd, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm. The funeral will take place on Friday, January 23rd at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, in Piazza della Repubblica 8 in Rome, at 11 am.”

According to Variety, the Italian designer Valentino Garavani founded his company in 1960 in Rome and quickly became known for his red dresses, a shade that became known as “Valentino red”.

The brand rose to prominence when First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy began wearing his designs in 1964, ordering six of his couture dresses in black and white to wear following the assassination of President John F Kennedy. Garavani then designed her wedding gown for Aristotle Onassis. The dress’s high neck, lace top and above-the-knee cut helped to solidify both her and Valentino as style icons.

Garavani also had a relationship with cinema, not only dressing celebrities but appearing as himself in the beloved 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada” alongside Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep. In 2008, a feature-length documentary about his career and life, titled ‘Valentino: The Last Emperor’, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. (ANI)