Anne Hathaway, along with notable figures such as Elizabeth Hurley, Tom Ford, Anna Wintour, and Donatella Versace, gathered on Friday to pay their respects at the funeral of the beloved fashion designer Valentino Garavani. Valentino passed away at the age of 93 in his residence in Rome earlier that week.
The legendary designer made a memorable appearance as himself in the acclaimed 2006 film “The Devil Wears Prada,” where he shared scenes with Hathaway. She traveled to rome alongside her husband Adam Schulman to bid farewell. The memorial service took place at the Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei martiri, a prominent church in central Rome. Hurley was present with her son Damian during this poignant occasion.
Among those who attended were Alessandro Michele,the current creative director at Valentino,and Pierpaolo Piccioli,who led the brand from 2008 until his retirement in early 2024. Following Valentino’s retirement proclamation in January 2008, a feature-length documentary titled “Valentino: The Last Emperor,” directed by Matt Tyrnauer and chronicling his illustrious career and life, premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Celebrating Diversity
In recent days, throngs of admirers gathered outside the Valentino foundation headquarters in Rome to honor what many referred to as “the last emperor.” His coffin was adorned with a single red rose encircled by white blooms.
The mayor of Rome,Roberto Gualtieri,praised Valentino as one of “Italy’s most radiant and cherished personalities.” Tributes flowed from various celebrities including sophia Loren, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carla Bruni, Cindy crawford, and Colman Domingo among others.
Throughout his career, Valentino crafted bespoke wedding gowns for numerous stars such as Hathaway herself along with Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow. He remained a favorite among A-listers on red carpets including Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett Florence Pugh Zendaya Dakota Johnson and Elle Fanning.