A mix of carmine and scarlet, with a hint of orange — a new hue, inspired by an elderly woman at Barcelona’s opera house, whose elegance struck a young Valentino Garavani.
The colour, introduced to the fashion world several years later, in 1959, with a strapless cocktail dress of draped tulle, has carried his name — “Valentino red” — ever since, doubling as the eponymous Italian fashion group’s signature.
“I think a woman dressed in red is always wonderful, she is the perfect image of a heroine,” Valentino wrote in the book “Rosso” (Red), released in 2022. He would include at least one red dress in every one of his collections.
Valentino, one of Italy’s leading fashion designers, died on Monday at his Roman residence, his foundation announced. He was 93 years old.
The cause of death was not immediately known.
