The end of an era. Arrivaderci, Valentino Garavani (11 May 1932 - 19 January 2026). A true gentleman and a champion of elegance in all forms. His fashion collections and his homes were the pinnacle of chic—no matter if he was at home in Rome, Capri, Manhattan, London, Gstaad, the Château de Wideville, or on the T. M. Blue, he really knew how to live with style and panache (John Fairchild called Valentino and his business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, "the kings of high living"). From his beginnings apprenticing for Jacques Fath, Balenciaga, and Jean Dessès in Paris to striking out on his own in Rome in 1960, Valentino created a fashion empire, built upon dressing women in impeccable, elegantly feminine styles. The portrait of Valentino is by Richard Avedon, for Vogue Italia, March 1982; this is followed by the Valentino ad campaign for autumn-winter 1967-68, photographed by Giampaolo Barbieri and modeled by Benedetta Barzini.