Valentino Garavani, iconic fashion designer who appeared in“ The Devil Wears Prada”, dies at 93
- - Valentino Garavani, iconic fashion designer who appeared in“ The Devil Wears Prada”, dies at 93
Joey NolfiJanuary 19, 2026 at 11:36 PM
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20th Century Fox
Valentino Garavani and Meryl Streep in 'The Devil Wears Prada'
Valentino Garavani, the legendary fashion designer and founder of the Valentino brand who also appeared in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada opposite Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, has died. He was 93.
The influential fashion visionary died Monday at his home in Rome, according to a statement shared to his official Instagram account.
"Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones," the statement read.
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Valentino founder Valentino Garavani dies at 93
Additionally, "the lying in state will be held at PM23 in Piazza Mignanelli 23 on Wednesday Jan. 21st and Thursday Jan. 22nd, from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm," read the announcement, with the funeral set for Jan. 23 at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri.
The statement did not include additional details about the designer's cause of death.
Known by his first name throughout most of his life and career, Valentino was born in 1932, and later founded his namesake brand in 1960, earning worldwide recognition after Jackie Kennedy wore his designs throughout the latter half of the decade.
Well known in fashion and celebrity circles, Valentino was introduced to a wider audience in the 2006 fashion-forward film The Devil Wears Prada, in which he appeared as a designer who greeted ruthless Runway magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Streep) and her team of staffers (Hathaway, Stanley Tucci) backstage at a runway show in Paris.
"Miranda, how are you? So glad to see you. Thank you for coming. Did you like the collection?" he asks Streep-as-Priestly in the scene, before she turns to introduce him to her "new Emily" (a running joke in the film, referencing Hathaway's character, Andy Sachs, replacing Emily Blunt's character, Emily, on the in-office Runway totem pole).
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Valentino is then seen greeting Hathaway's character, and the scene comes to a close.
Before his retirement from fashion in 2008, Valentino was also featured in a career-spanning feature documentary about his life, Valentino: The Last Emperor.
Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer chronicled Valentino's impact in fashion and beyond, and also focused on the designer's business and romantic partner, Giancarlo Giammetti.
Celebrities who appeared in the documentary included Hathaway, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sarah Jessica Parker, Uma Thurman, and Elizabeth Hurley, among fashion industry staples like Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Donatella Versace, and more.
Antony Jones/BFC/Getty
Valentino Garavani in 2018
A favorite among Hollywood stars, Valentino was widely seen on red carpets, with many celebrities also in attendance at his final runway show in January 2008.
“I totally started to cry — it was so incredible," Blake Lively said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly's sister publication, PEOPLE, at the show at the time. "It was just so special to be here. I felt like I was here for something historic.”
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Thurman additionally told the outlet, "I was so sad to see it end. He’s one of the most elegant designers of our time."
See the statement announcing Valentino's death in the Instagram post above.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
