Celebrities and fashion icons gathered Friday to pay tribute to legendary Italian designer Valentino Garavani at his funeral in Rome. Anne Hathaway and Donatella Versace were among the attendees, with several mourners honoring the designer’s signature red through hats, scarves, or shawls.
The ceremony was held at Rome’s Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and of the Martyrs, adorned with white rose wreaths and a large portrait of Valentino, who passed away Monday at the age of 93. Valentino, renowned for dressing some of the world’s most stylish women—including Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Diana, and Julia Roberts—leaves behind a monumental legacy in fashion.
Hathaway, attending with her husband Adam Shulman, described Valentino on Instagram as a “titan of a designer” and a personal friend, recalling moments of dancing and karaoke with him. “He made my world so much brighter, grander, and more delightful than I could have ever imagined,” she wrote.
Other high-profile guests included designers Tom Ford, Alessandro Michele, Pier Paolo Piccioli, Anna Fendi, Brunello Cucinelli, and fashion editor Anna Wintour. Led by Valentino’s longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti, most mourners wore black, while touches of red paid homage to the designer’s iconic aesthetic.
Valentino’s coffin was previously displayed at his foundation in central Rome, allowing the public to pay respects. “We’ll never find the class that Valentino had again,” said Francesco Sangiovanni, 81, a visitor, praising the designer for bringing Italian elegance to the world stage.
