Today in Rome, the great and good of fashion and film gathered for the funeral of the Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, who died aged 93 on Monday. From Anna Wintour, Tom Ford and Donatella Versace, to Anne Hathaway, Natalia Vodianova, Olivia Palermo and Liz and Damian Hurley, the guests dressed to ensure the designer was sent off in a suitable atmosphere of impeccable elegance, for which he was famed (Damian Hurley added a Valentino-red scarf in tribute). As Hathaway wrote on Instagram this week, “Now he rests forever surrounded by eternal beauty, a most fitting next chapter for the one true Emperor who gifted us all a legacy of unparalleled magnificence.”
Indeed, after a half-century career in fashion, “emperor” became something of a moniker for Valentino. The American director Matt Tyrnauer of the 2008 documentary, Valentino: the Last Emperor, which shone a light onto his design process and lifestyle, explained at the time that “he lives as lavishly as his clients and set a standard for the industry. He shuts out all that is not beautiful”. As well as a 152ft superyacht and private jet (once apparently used to fly mozzarella into one of his parties), Valentino had a portfolio of properties in London, New York, Rome, Tuscany, Gstaad and France.
