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ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNER Valentino Garavani has died aged 93.

“Valentino Garavani passed away today at his Roman residence, surrounded by his loved ones,” his foundation said on social media.

A funeral is planned for Friday in the Italian capital, with a lying in state on Wednesday and Thursday.

Born in 1932, Valentino was named for silent film star Rudolph Valentino.

He became interested in fashion from a young age and left Italy to study in Paris. He later returned to Rome and opened his own fashion house in 1959 with his partner Giancarlo Giammetti.

He was a giant of fashion throughout the decades and dressed iconic figures including Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, and Audrey Hepburn. Valentino was known for his “Valentino red” – a bright red shade he utilised in collections over his many years in the business that became synonymous with him and his brand.

In 2008, he announced he was retiring from his role of creative director of the brand and presented his final collection in Paris.

In 2005, as he approached retirement, he told The New Yorker: “At some point, you do get to the end. And when I do, I hope I will be remembered as a man who pursued beauty whenever he could.”

His eponymous fashion and cosmetics brand was controlled by a private equity group from 2007, having been acquired for €2.6 billion. It is presently under the split ownership of a Qatari fund owned by the Qatari royal family and Kering, a French multinational holding company that owns Gucci, among others.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the designer in a post on X and said: “Valentino, undisputed master of style and elegance and eternal symbol of Italian high fashion.

“Today Italy loses a legend, but his legacy will continue to inspire generations. Thank you for everything.”