Valentino Garavani passed away on January 19 at his residence in Rome, surrounded by family. The farewell ceremony will take place on January 21 and 22 at Mininelli Square, and the funeral will be held on Friday at 11:00 AM local time at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
The designer was born on May 11, 1932, in Voghera, a small town in northern Italy. At the age of 17, he moved to Paris to study at the School of Fine Arts and the Syndicate of Haute Couture. In 1960, Garavani returned to Rome, and a year later, together with Giancarlo Giammetti, he founded his fashion house.
The first successful show that opened the way to international orders took place in 1962 in Florence. One of the first clients of the couturier was Jacqueline Kennedy, who in 1964 ordered six dresses for mourning her husband, U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
In 1998, Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti sold the Valentino brand to the Italian conglomerate HdP for $300 million, and in 2002, the rights to the brand were acquired by Marzotto Appareli. In 2007, the designer announced the end of his career after his final show in Paris.
