”My dear Valentino, the news of your passing fills me with deep sorrow. I will always cherish the moments we shared, moments of real affection and genuine respect. You had a kind and generous soul, full of humanity. You were a true friend. Your art and your passion will stay with me and continue to inspire me always. It was a true privilege to know you, and I will carry you with me, always My family and I hold Giancarlo and your entire family close in our hearts and thoughts.”
Sophia Loren
All photos courtesy of Courtesy of FVF Services
Courtesy of FVF Services 
Anne Hathaway 
Giancarlo Giammetti, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Valentino Garavani== GILT GROUPE and QUINTESSENTIALLY Private Dinner for the Premiere of “VALENTINO: The Last Emperor”== The Oak Room at the Plaza Hotel, NYC== March 17, 2009== ©Patrick McMullan== Photo – BILLY FARRELL / PatrickMcMullan.com== == 
Gizele 
Sophia Loren 
Jackie O’ 
ROME — Legendary designer Valentino Garavani was honored today in Rome as friends, family, and fashion figures gathered to pay their final respects. The iconic couturier — known for the signature Valentino red and timeless elegance — lay in state at his foundation near the Spanish Steps ahead of a funeral service at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
Among those attending were Giancarlo Giammetti, Valentino’s longtime partner and business collaborator, and Alessandro Michele, the brand’s creative director. Rome’s mayor Roberto Gualtieri was also present, reflecting the designer’s deep cultural ties to the city.
The crowd included atelier seamstresses, longtime collaborators, and admirers who lined up to see the simple coffin topped with a single red rose. Valentino’s beloved fawn-colored pugs were also seen among the tributes.
Often referred to as the Celebrities’ Designer throughout his career, Valentino dressed some of the world’s most famous, jet-setting women—from Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Anne Hathaway to Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, and Sophia Loren — leaving a legacy of glamour that spanned decades.
As Rome paused to remember him, the city paid tribute not only to a designer but to a creator who shaped the modern language of beauty.
Hundreds lined up to pause before the simple wooden coffin, topped with a single red rose and surrounded by white roses and lilies — a testament to a designer whose creations graced royalty, Hollywood stars, and fashion icons across generations.
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