ROME — Rome is paying its final tribute to legendary designer Valentino, who made his high-glamour gowns and trademark shade of red an iconic symbol of Italian elegance.
Valentino Garavani, who died aged 93 at his Rome residence on Monday, built his house in the Italian capital, where he will be lying in state at his foundation in Piazza Mignanelli on Wednesday and Thursday, just a few steps away from the world-known Spanish Steps.
His funeral will be held on Friday in the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in central Rome.
The jet-set Italian designer, universally known by his first name, was adored by generations of royals, first ladies and movie stars, from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan, who swore the designer always made them look and feel their best.
Hundreds of fashion celebrities, authorities and Roman citizens lined up to honor the "last emperor" of Italian fashion during the public viewing. He always maintained his atelier in Rome, while he mostly unveiled his collections in Paris.
Mourners waited in line to enter the headquarters of Valentino’s foundation and stop for a few moments in front of his coffin, adorned with just one red rose and surrounded by white flowers.
Only his closest relatives and friends sat on both sides of the coffin, including his two beloved fawn-colored pugs.
Hailing him as one of “Italy’s most luminous and beloved figures,” Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, underlined the designer’s strong links with the Italian capital.
Alessandro Michele, the current creative director of the Valentino fashion house, said the Maestro would be irreplaceable, but left a sound heritage.
“He's been a great example of life,” Michele told reporters before entering the foundation for his last salute. “He came from afar and built something immense.”
Never one for edginess or statement dressing, Valentino’s nearly half-century career stretched from his early days in Rome in the 1960s through to his retirement in 2008.
He founded the house of Valentino on Rome’s central Via Condotti in 1959.
Valentino’s fail-safe designs made him the king of the red carpet, the go-to man for A-listers’ awards ceremony needs.
His sumptuous gowns have graced countless Academy Awards, notably in 2001, when Roberts wore a vintage black and white column to accept her best actress statue. Cate Blanchett also wore Valentino — a one-shouldered number in butter-yellow silk — when she won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2005.