NEED TO KNOW
- Hollywood stars and fashion icons gathered in Rome to honor Valentino Garavani at a ceremony in a historic basilica
- Anne Hathaway, Donatella Versace, Anna Wintour and other notable figures attended, with tributes highlighting the fashion designer’s legacy
- Garavani, known for dressing Oscar winners and creating iconic couture, was laid to rest in a family chapel
Hollywood stars, fashion royalty and hundreds of admirers gathered in Rome on Friday, Jan. 23 to say a final goodbye to legendary designer Valentino Garavani.
The ceremony was held in the heart of the Italian capital at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, where Garavani’s coffin arrived mid-morning following two days of public viewings at the Valentino foundation’s headquarters.
Crowds lined the streets outside the basilica, some dressed in red or carrying red bags, scarves and flowers in homage to the designer’s signature shade.
Among those in attendance were Anne Hathaway, who was photographed crying as she arrived with her husband, Adam Shulman.
Donatella Versace, Tom Ford and longtime Vogue editor Anna Wintour — wearing her signature sunglasses and layered necklaces — were among the fashion elite at the ceremony, along with Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele, former Valentino designer Pierpaolo Piccioli, Dior designer Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kering chairman François-Henri Pinault.
Olivia Palermo and Elizabeth Hurley also attended, with her son, Damian, incorporating a note of Valentino red into his outfit.
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Even the ceremonial capes worn by Carabinieri guards were designed by Armani, CNN reported — a detail that underscored the scale of the fashion world’s tribute.
Inside the basilica, white floral arrangements filled the space as Mozart’s Lacrimosa played during the procession, according to Vanity Fair. Giancarlo Giammetti, Garavani’s longtime business partner and lifelong companion, read a speech before the final benediction.
Handwritten messages and wreaths were left outside the church, including tributes from the Armani family and other longtime friends and collaborators.
Sophia Loren’s dedication read “always in my heart,” Vanity Fair reported, while Claudia Schiffer left a single red rose at the memorial site.
A handwritten sign read, “We lost the most beautiful flower,” according to photographs, while another said, “The last emperor of fashion.”
Fans continued to gather throughout the morning, many waiting quietly outside the basilica to witness the moment.
After the mass, Valentino’s coffin was transported for burial at the Flaminio Cemetery in Prima Porta, where he will be laid to rest in a family chapel he shared with Giammetti.
Garavani died Monday, Jan. 19 at age 93 at his home in Rome.
Born in Voghera, Italy, in 1932, Garavani built one of fashion’s most enduring legacies over a career that spanned more than six decades. After training in Paris, he returned to Rome to open his fashion house in 1960 alongside Giammetti.
The brand quickly became known for glamorous couture gowns, impeccable tailoring and a devotion to elegance that defined Garavani’s work.
Throughout his life, Garavani was known for dressing generations of actresses, royals and first ladies, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis.
He also created some of the most memorable red carpet looks in Oscar history. Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett, Jessica Lange and Sophia Loren all won Academy Awards while wearing Valentino designs.
The luminary retired in 2008 but remained an enduring presence in fashion, admired for a vision rooted in beauty and refinement.
“I know what women want,” Garavani once famously said. “They want to be beautiful.”
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