Valentino Garavani and the making of the modern red carpet

The ‘Last Emperor of Fashion’ passed away at the age of 93 on Monday. Here are some iconic red-carpet moments by the legendary designer featuring some top names across the globe

Jan 21, 2026, 17:55 IST5 min

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Valentino Garawani created garments designed to accentuate a woman's beauty, not to overwhelm her. His core principles—femininity and romance—were visible through the use of soft lines, flowing gowns, lace, silk, velvet and embroidery. Believing in perfect craftsmanship, there was couture-level construction even in ready-to-wear; his designs were timeless—intended to look relevant decades later. The legend was popular for using Valentino red (a vibrant shade of crimson or scarlet) which symbolised passion, confidence and glamour. He helped shape the modern red-carpet gown: Dramatic, elegant and unforgettable. Garawani inspired designers to prioritise heritage, craftsmanship and longevity. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images)

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Isha Ambani | Isha Ambani wore a custom-made gold lehenga for her wedding reception in December 2018. The first and only lehenga ever designed by the Italian fashion house Maison Valentino featured an intricate traditional Indian silhouette enriched with gold embroidery, lace detailing and heavy embellishments. It was later featured in the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre’s inaugural exhibition, ‘India in Fashion’, to celebrate its status as a piece of cultural history. (Photo courtesy: Instagram.com/maisonvalentino)

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Kareena Kapoor Khan | In December 2025, Kareena Kapoor Khan wore a vintage, camel-toned skirt-and-blazer for a meeting with Lionel Messi during the football legend’s visit to Mumbai. The outfit, designed by Valentino Garavani, featured unique ivory elephant embroidery on the blazer panels and gold statement buttons. (Photo courtesy: Instagram.com/kareenakapoorkhan)

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Jackie Kennedy Onassis| In the image: Valentino and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Exhibit ‘Hapsburg Era Fashions’ in New York City on December 3, 1979 (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)The friendship between First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Valentino began in 1964, when the former saw one of his outfits on Vogue editor Gloria Schiff and set her heart upon getting to know the designer personally. Garavani designed the cream lace wedding gown worn by Kennedy at her marriage to business tycoon Aristotle Onassis in 1968.

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Audrey Hepburn | In the image: A Valentino cream lace and silk mini dress from 1968 belonging to Audrey Hepburn is displayed at the Kerry Taylor Auctions on December 4, 2009, in London (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)After marrying Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti in 1969, Audrey Hepburn moved to Rome and began incorporating Valentino Garavani's Italian designs into her wardrobe. She was a prominent member of ‘Val's Gals’, an elite circle of 1960s and 70s style icons, including Elizabeth Taylor and Jacqueline Kennedy, who frequently wore and were inspired by the designer’s creations. Hepburn wore a notable Garavani gown to The Proust Ball (1971), a high-society event in Paris.

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Sophia Loren | In the image: Sophia Loren (left) with her honorary Oscar at the 63rd Academy Awards at the Shrine. (Photo: Bettmann via Getty Images) Loren and Garavani (right) attend the Green Carpet Fashion Awards during the Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2020 on September 22, 2019 (Photo: Rex Shutterstock)Sophia Loren was one of Valentino Garavani's most significant muses since the early days of his career in the 1960s. She wore the designer’s outfits for numerous landmark career moments, most notably the black gown to the 1991 Academy Awards to receive her Honorary Oscar for her lifetime contributions to cinema. At the Green Carpet Fashion Awards (2019) in Milan, Loren presented Garavani with the Legacy Award.

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Elizabeth Taylor | In the image from left: Actor Elizabeth Taylor (left) and fashion designer Valentino Garavani at a Valentino gala in 1991. (Photo by Fairchild Archive/Penske Media via Getty Images); from left: Doris Brynner, Elizabeth Taylor, Garavani and Marie Helene of Rothschild at the ‘L.I.F.E.’ party organised by the designer in 1991. (Photo by Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images)Elizabeth Taylor and Valentino Garavani shared a legendary partnership that spanned over 60 years. Their association began in Rome while Taylor was filming Cleopatra. For her eighth and final marriage to Larry Fortensky, Taylor wore a pale-yellow lace gown with a sweeping train designed by Garavani.

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Princess Diana | In the image: Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a burgundy-coloured velvet and lace dress designed by Valentino Garavani, at a performance of Paul McCartney's oratorio 'Liverpool' at the Lille Congress Hall on November 15, 1992 in Lille, France. (Photos by Anwar Hussein/Getty Images) Diana meets the cast of the Hong Kong Gala at The Barbican Centre on January 23, 1992 in London, United Kingdom (right).In the early 1990s, Valentino Garavani became a key designer in Princess Diana's wardrobe as she moved towards a more independent and confident style during her separation from Prince Charles. One of her famous Garavani outfits was a burgundy velvet and lace dress she wore in France in November 1992. The designer was also among those invited to her funeral service in 1997.

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Julia Roberts | In the image actor Julia Roberts after winning the Oscar for Best Actress for Erin Brockovich at the 73rd Annual Academy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on March 25, 2001. (Photo by LEE CELANO / AFP) A model (right) wears a Vintage Valentino gown designed for Julia Roberts at ‘A Celebration of Oscar Fashions’ in Beverly Hills (Photo by Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty Images)Julia Roberts and the Italian fashion house Valentino share a historic connection defined by one of the most famous red-carpet moments in Academy Awards history. For the 73rd Academy Awards in 2001, Roberts wore a vintage black-and-white Valentino gown to accept her Best Actress Oscar for Erin Brockovich.

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Cate Blanchett | In the image: Cate Blanchett, who won Best Actress in a Supporting Role for The Aviator (Photo by Dan MacMedan/WireImage)In an iconic red-carpet moment at the 2005 Academy Awards, Cate Blanchett won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Aviator wearing a custom pale-yellow silk taffeta gown with a burgundy sash. As a result of wearing the dress, Blanchett topped many of the year's best-dressed lists.