Global fashion luminaries and members of the general public are set to collect in Rome on Friday morning to bid farewell to the enduring 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 basis’s headquarters, marking the final tribute to the internationally acclaimed couturier.
Among these in attendance are distinguished figures from the fashion world, together with designers Tom Ford and Donatella Versace, alongside Vogue powerhouse Anna Wintour, and Hollywood stars akin to Anne Hathaway.
Garavani, who handed away on Monday at his Rome residence aged 93, was celebrated for dressing generations of royalty, first girls, and celebrities. Figures like Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Jordan’s Queen Rania, and Julia Roberts constantly praised the designer for making them appear and feel their very best.
Hundreds have already paid their respects to the “last emperor” of Italian fashion through the public viewing.
While Valentino maintained his atelier in Rome, his collections had been often unveiled in Paris.
His opulent robes have graced quite a few Academy Awards ceremonies, notably Julia Roberts’ classic black and white column costume when she accepted her greatest actress Oscar in 2001, and Cate Blanchett’s butter-yellow silk, one-shouldered creation for her greatest supporting actress win in 2005.
Tributes poured in from main figures from throughout industries, together with his long-time associate Giammetti, fashions Elizabeth Hurley and Linda Evangelista and actuality TV star Kim Kardashian.
Hurley stated: “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 robe for her marriage ceremony to Brad Falchuk in 2018 in addition to a vibrant pink long-sleeved costume at the 2013 Met Gala stated the information felt just like the “end of an era”.
In a publish on Instagram, she stated: “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” including 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.”