BREAKING: THE DEATH OF VALENTINO GARAVANI — AND HIS LAST WORD REVEALED…
9:17 AM — his private villa in Rome is shrouded in silence.
Valentino Garavani, the man who shaped an entire fashion era, breathed his last at the age of 93. No cameras. No grand announcement. Only family present.
But that’s not what stunned the fashion world.
Today, his family confirmed for the first time:
👉 Valentino passed away with ONE LAST WORD UNFULFILLED.
According to close sources, in his final hours, he repeatedly expressed a single wish — his voice weak, but extremely clear.
Something he had cherished for years.
A decision he believed would “completely bring his life to a close.”
But time… didn’t wait.
No one in the room spoke.
No one dared to promise.
And then… Valentino Garavani passed away, taking with him that unfinished business.
His family admitted:
“That’s what hurts us the most. He waited too long.”
Now, HIS LAST WORDS ARE REVEALED BELOW
Fashion Designer Valentino Garavani Passes Away In His Home
Valentino Garavani, the Italian designer behind the iconic Valentino label, has died at 93. He built his empire on ultra-romantic gowns, razor-sharp tailoring, and a shade so iconic it developed its own name, “Valentino red.” If you’ve ever seen a star hit the carpet wearing a bold shade of red, a dramatic train, and a perfect fit, there’s a good chance Valentino’s fingerprints were all over it. He was known for dressing the rich, famous, and royally important, bringing unforgettable, elegant silhouettes to life. And while fashion moves fast, Valentino Garavani’s style stayed consistent.
Valentino Garavani’s Death Announced In Emotional Instagram Statement
News of his death was shared on Monday, January 19, via Valentino’s personal Instagram account and his foundation. The caption read:
“Our founder, Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones. 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.”
The post quickly filled with tributes from fashion-world heavyweights, including former Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, who kept it simple in the comments with a broken heart emoji.
Fashion World Floods Post With Tributes
Model Helena Christensen commented, “Such wonderful memories with this beautiful, talented man and genius,” while male model Alex Belli chimed in, “a man, a mentor, a friend!! But your greatness will forever remain with us.”
Fashion photographer Arthur Elgort expressed, “Thank you, Valentino, for the beauty and magic you have brought into the fashion world. It has been an honor to witness and capture it,” as author Laura McLaws Helms simply wrote, “Rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, other fans shared their condolences, writing things like “R.I.P. You will be deeply missed and never forgotten,” and “May God rest his soul!”
Valentino Garavani’s Last Runway Bow
KCS Presse / MEGA
Valentino announced his retirement in 2007, later closing out his couture era with a final haute couture show in January 2008 at Paris’ Musée Rodin. Beyond the runway, Valentino also carved out a pop-culture lane, including a memorable cameo as himself in “The Devil Wears Prada” and a spotlight moment in a 2008 documentary filmed during the final two years of his career.
” Valentino was one of the first designers to make himself the inspirational figure at the center of the story he was telling,” producer and director Matt Tyrnauer said at the time. “He is a born dreamer, and the last true couturier, who let us in on his creative process and also let us in on the life he built around him to sustain this process.”
Tyrnauer added, “He lives as lavishly as his clients and set a standard for the industry. He shuts out all that is not beautiful, and we followed him around the world to capture that special world.”
Zendaya Revives Vintage Garavani Runway Look For ‘Euphoria’ Premiere
Zendaya paid tribute to Valentino’s legacy back in 2022, when she and stylist Law Roach pulled a jaw-dropping look straight from the fashion house’s archives for the virtual red carpet premiere of “Euphoria” Season 2.
The actress put her own twist on a black-and-white, vertically striped Valentino gown from the brand’s 1992 collection, a piece that originally debuted on the runway during the Italian fashion house’s Spring/Summer show. And the throwback moment came with supermodel history, because the same design was first modeled on the catwalk by none other than Linda Evangelista.
Valentino Garavani’s Star-Studded Client List
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency / MEGA
In addition to Zendaya, Valentino became the go-to designer for A-listers, outfitting everyone from Sharon Stone and Nicole Kidman to Gwyneth Paltrow, Barbra Streisand, and Elizabeth Taylor.
Valentino’s legacy, of course, will live far beyond this week’s tributes, especially with the signature “Valentino red” that made him a legend.
Valentino Garavani: The Final Wish of Fashion’s Last Emperor (1932–2026)
ROME — January 20, 2026 — The fashion world is in mourning following the death of Valentino Garavani, the legendary Italian couturier who passed away yesterday at the age of 93 in his residence in Rome. Known universally as “The Last Emperor” of fashion, Valentino’s death marks the end of an era that defined high-society glamour for over half a century. However, as the world reflects on his storied legacy, a poignant revelation has emerged from his family and lifelong partner, Giancarlo Giammetti: the designer left behind a series of unfulfilled final wishes aimed at preserving the soul of haute couture for future generations.
A Life Lived for Beauty
Valentino Garavani’s journey began in 1932 in Voghera, Italy, fueled by a passion for the theatre and the opera. After apprenticing in Paris and launching his namesake house in Rome in 1959, he became the go-to designer for the world’s most iconic women, including Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and Princess Diana. His name became synonymous with “Valentino Red,” a signature crimson that he believed was the only color capable of making a woman truly unforgettable.
Even after his formal retirement in 2008, Valentino remained a constant presence in the industry, often repeating his personal mantra: “I love beauty, it’s not my fault”.
The Unfinished Projects: Preserving the “Handmade”
According to sources close to the family, Valentino’s final months were focused on a mission to safeguard the “craft of the hand” in an increasingly digital and automated world. His primary unfulfilled wish was the completion of The Academy of Beauty, a specialized institution he envisioned in Rome.
The Academy was intended to be more than a fashion school; it was designed as a sanctuary for traditional haute couture techniques. Valentino reportedly expressed deep concern that the meticulous skills of the petites mains—the artisans who hand-sew thousands of beads and finish seams by hand—would be lost to AI and mass production. He wanted to ensure that the “couture flame,” which he carried for decades, would continue to burn through the hands of the next generation.
The Digital Legacy
In tandem with his reverence for the past, Valentino also sought to embrace the future through a Comprehensive Digital Museum. While a virtual museum was launched years prior, his final wish was to expand it into a “living archive” that would offer free, high-definition access to every technical drawing and pattern in his 45-year archive. His goal was to democratize the study of beauty, allowing a student in a remote corner of the world to study the architecture of a 1968 “White Collection” gown as if they were holding it in their hands.
The Final Tribute to Red
Giammetti also revealed that Valentino was in the final stages of a literary project—a definitive book on the psychology and artistry of “Valentino Red.” The designer felt that while the color was his trademark, its deeper meaning as a symbol of power, heroism, and feminine strength had yet to be fully articulated.
A Final Farewell
Valentino’s passing on Monday, January 19, 2026, was described by his foundation as peaceful, occurring while he was “surrounded by the love of his family”. The news has triggered an outpouring of grief across Italy, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hailing him as an “undisputed master of style” and an “eternal symbol of Italian high fashion”.
The designer will lie in state at the PM23 gallery (Piazza Mignanelli 23) in Rome on Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, from 11:00 to 18:00. This location is deeply symbolic, as it served as the heart of his creative empire for decades.
His funeral is scheduled for Friday, January 23, 2026, at 11:00 at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
While the “Last Emperor” has taken his final bow, his family has pledged that his unfulfilled wishes will not remain so. The Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation is expected to oversee the completion of the Academy and the digital archive, ensuring that his pursuit of beauty continues to inspire the world long after his departure.
As Valentino himself once remarked of his departure from the runway: “I am leaving the party when it is still full.” Today, the fashion world agrees—the party is a little less bright without its host.
