Global fashion luminaries and members of the public are set to gather in Rome on Friday morning to bid farewell to the iconic designer Valentino Garavani.
The funeral service, held at the central Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, follows a two-day public viewing at the Valentino foundation’s headquarters, marking the final tribute to the internationally acclaimed couturier.
Among those in attendance are prominent figures from the fashion world, including designers Tom Ford and Donatella Versace, alongside Vogue powerhouse Anna Wintour, and Hollywood stars such as Anne Hathaway.
Garavani, who passed away on Monday at his Rome residence aged 93, was celebrated for dressing generations of royalty, first ladies, and celebrities. Figures like Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Jordan's Queen Rania, and Julia Roberts consistently praised the designer for making them feel and look their absolute best.
Hundreds have already paid their respects to the "last emperor" of Italian fashion during the public viewing.
While Valentino maintained his atelier in Rome, his collections were frequently unveiled in Paris.
His opulent gowns have graced numerous Academy Awards ceremonies, notably Julia Roberts' vintage black and white column dress when she accepted her best actress Oscar in 2001, and Cate Blanchett's butter-yellow silk, one-shouldered creation for her best supporting actress win in 2005.
Tributes poured in from leading figures from across industries, including his long-time partner Giammetti, models Elizabeth Hurley and Linda Evangelista and reality TV star Kim Kardashian.
Hurley said: “30 years of extraordinary friendship… Valentino was eternally kind and generous to me and my son Damian, whom Valentino called ‘The Little Prince’.
“I will cherish our time together for the rest of my life.”
Gwyneth Paltrow, who wore a Valentino gown for her wedding to Brad Falchuk in 2018 as well as a bright pink long-sleeved dress at the 2013 Met Gala said the news felt like the “end of an era”.
In a post on Instagram, she said: “I was so lucky to know and love Valentino – to know the real man, in private.
“The man who was in love with beauty, his family, his muses, his friends. His dogs, his gardens, and a good Hollywood story.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was among the first to pay tribute to the couturier, describing him in a post on X as the “undisputed master of style and elegance” adding that he was the “eternal symbol of Italian high fashion”.
She added: “Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything.”
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