“Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration to us all, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the foundation said in the statement.
His body will lie at rest at the foundation’s headquarters in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday. The funeral will take place on Friday in the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Piazza della Repubblica in Rome.
Universally known by his first name, Valentino was adored by generations of royals, first ladies and movie stars, from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan, who vowed that the designer would always make them look and feel their best.
Photo by Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP
“I know what women want,” he once remarked. “They want to be beautiful.”
Not one for edginess or statement dressing, Valentino made very few fashion mistakes during his nearly half-century-long career, which stretched from his early days in Rome in the 1960s until his retirement in 2008.
His flawless designs made Valentino the king of the red carpet, the go-to man for the awards ceremony of A-listers. His lavish gowns have won numerous Academy Awards, most notably in 2001, when Roberts wore a vintage black-and-white column to accept her Best Actress statue. Cate Blanchett also wore Valentino – a one-shouldered piece in butter yellow silk – when she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2004.
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