Beloved Fashion Designer Valentino Garavani, Who Was Known for His Love of Red, Is Dead at 93

Back in August 2013, fashion designer Valentino Garavani invited Harper's Bazaar into his life for a single day. By that time, he had been retired for about six years, though he sold his iconic luxury brand in 1998. The dog-obsessed Valentino spent much of his day focusing on his six pugs, who always trailed after him as he strolled through his garden.

Valentino had a few personal rules for himself that he never wavered from. First and foremost, he never ate in front of a television and always changed before dinner. Secondly, a bedroom window remained open while he slept on his custom-made linen sheets. And finally, his youngest pug, Maury, always slept with him. It's safe to assume his life didn't change much over the last decade or so. In January 2026, Valentino died at the age of 93. Here's what we know about his cause of death.

A cause of death for Valentino has not been made public. According to a post on his foundation's Instagram, he peacefully passed away at his home in Rome. Valentino was surrounded by family and friends. The fashion designer will be lying in state at the foundation's headquarters. His funeral will be held at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, in Piazza della Repubblica 8 in Rome.

Celebrities took to social media to honor the man who created stunning designs for them over the years. He often became more than just a friend. "I was so lucky to know and love Valentino, to know the real man, in private," wrote Gwyneth Paltrow on Instagram. She went on to say that Valentino was in love with beauty, his family, his muses, his friends, his dogs, his garden, and a good Hollywood story. "This feels like the end of an era. He will be deeply missed by me and all who loved him."

Former models who walked the catwalk wearing Valentino's works of art shared their memories of the late designer on social media. "I loved the special times where I got to bring his creations to life on and off the runway," wrote Claudia Schiffer in a post on Instagram. Cindy Crawford called Valentino a "master of his craft" while Coco Rocha said his "legacy lives on in the restraint, elegance, and conviction that defined both the man and his work."

It stands to reason that the people who understood Valentino's work the most were his colleagues. Donatella Versace said the world lost a true maestro who will "forever be remembered for his art." Ralph Lauren, who got his start roughly around the same time in the 1960s, noted that Valentino had a romantic name that he "lived up to through the artfulness of the collections he designed and the passion for beauty that inspired him for so many decades."

The woman who brought us the wrap dress had lovely words for Valentino. "Your ballgowns made me feel like a Princess, even before I became one," wrote Diane von Furstenberg in a post on Instagram. The common thread throughout all of these posts is Valentino's passion for life.