Valentino's most iconic celebrity style moments - and the star who demanded clothes for PR

The death of Valentino Garavani at 93 has put the spotlight firmly on the work of the legendary fashion designer.

Valentino started his eponymous fashion house in 1960, and for decades was at the forefront of celebrity fashion, dressing some of the most famous faces and bodies in the world, including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Taylor, and providing wedding day looks for the likes of Jennifer Lopez and Nicola Peltz.

Let's take a look back at some of his most famous clients, including red carpet creations, wedding looks and gowns worn by royalty.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

The former US First Lady was one of Valentino's earliest and most famous clients.

She first got in touch with the designer in 1964, four years after he launched his own fashion house and two years after the assassination of her husband John F Kennedy.

Kennedy ordered six haute couture dresses, all in black and white, to wear as she continued to mourn her husband.

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She later commissioned the designer to make her look for her 1968 wedding to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.

He designed the knee-length silk crepe two-piece outfit, which was made from from lace and chiffon.

Onassis continued to wear his designs throughout her life, including some of her most famous looks, and Valentino told W in 1984 he owed "a big percentage" of his fame to her.

Elizabeth Taylor

The screen icon reportedly was one of the first Hollywood stars to wear Valentino.

She donned a gown by the designer for the 1961 movie premiere of the film Spartacus, which was held in Rome, where she was pictured dancing with its star, Kirk Douglas.

Afterwards, Taylor reportedly went to the designer's headquarters, which were located in the city, and asked to be given a number of pieces in exchange for the great 'publicity' the fashion house received from her wearing the dress.

It marked the start of a relationship between Valentino and the star that lasted decades.

Audrey Hepburn

Another acting great who wore Valentino's designs was Audrey Hepburn.

She, like Taylor, became known as one of "Val's girls" due to the amount of times she wore Valentino on and off the screen, as well as in fashion shoots.

Among the most famous looks was the dress she wore to the Proust Bal held in France in 1971, a series of Valentino designs she wore for a 1969 Vogue fashion shoot and in films such as Charade.

Sophia Loren

Loren was another of the so-called "Val's girls", and continued to wear his designs over decades.

One of the most famous Valentino designs she wore was the stunning black off-the-shoulder gown which was paired with a sheer jacket for the 1991 Academy Awards where she received the honorary award for Lifetime Achievement.

Princess Diana

Perhaps one of the most famous fashion icons of recent times is Princess Diana.

She wore a short, burgandy velvet and lace Valentino dress to attend a performance of Paul McCartney's oratorio, Liverpool, which was held in France in 1992.

She went on to wear his designs numerous times, both in public and in private, and was often photographed by paparazzi wearing Valentino on holiday.

The two also enjoyed a friendship, with them pictured together on a yacht.

Valentino was among those invited to Diana's funeral service in 1997.

Julia Roberts

The pretty woman herself wore a vintage Valentino couture dress for the 2001 Academy Awards, where she was named Best Actress for her role in Erin Brockovich.

The striking dress is long considered one of Valentino's most famous designs.

Featuring a Y-shaped upper body falling to a column style, it was made from black velvet and tulle, and featured white silk piping and was finished with a dramatic train.

Jennifer Lopez

Jennifer Lopez chose Valentino to design her wedding dress for her 2001 marriage to dancer Cris Judd.

The dress featured layers of the finest Chantilly lace – a look that lasted much longer than her marriage, which was over within two years.

The singer and actress has worn Valentino numerous times since then, including the iconic, mint green sari-style one-shoulder design she wore to the 2003 Academy Awards.

She has also supported the designer at his fashion shows.

She wore Valentino for his Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2024 show in Paris, France, where she wore a glamorous black gown from the previous collection, featuring silver crystal cutouts on the sleeves.

Queen Mary of Denmark

When Queen Mary of Denmark, then Princess Mary, arrived at the 40th Anniversary Gala Concert for the Sydney Opera House on October 27, 2013, she was reportedly dressed head to toe in Valentino.

Mary and her husband Frederik were in Sydney to attend a range of events celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House, which was designed by the Danish architect Jorn Utzen.

She also wore Valentino's iconic studded Rockstud Pumps for the occasion.

It was not the first or last time she donned clothes by the designer.

In 2015, she wore a pink Valentino pink consisting of lace and pleated silk organza dress.

She has also twice worn a power-blue caped floor length evening gown, and is a fan of Valentino accessories including boots.

Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway struck up a friendship with Valentino when he made a cameo in The Devil Wears Prada, which spilled over into real life.

She was soon wearing his designs on the red carpet, including a red gown she wore to the 2011 Academy Awards. She even posed on the red carpet with the designer.

She chose a custom Valentino gown when she wed husband Adam Shulman in 2012.

At the time, People reported that Valentino himself oversaw the creation of the dress, which was then made by his atelier in Rome.

The strapless ivory silk point d'esprit tulle dress included a pink hand-painted train embroidered with satin flowers and 1920s-inspired veil consisting of lace ribbon and flower adorned with crystal beads.

Nicola Peltz Beckham

After Victoria Beckham was reportedly unable to make her daughter-in-law's wedding dress at the "eleventh hour", Peltz reportedly turned to none other than Valentino for her look.

The dress was, according to Vogue, a culmination of a year's worth of conversations with creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli's team, two trips to the Rome HQ, and two US fittings.

The head seamstresses even journeyed to Miami to make sure every detail was immaculate on the big day.

Peltz also wore Valentino to the 2021 Met Gala.

A 2006 exhibition honouring Valentino's work, which was held in Rome, Italy, featured many of his most famous designs.

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"I am filled with emotion," he said at the opening of the event.

Valentino Garavani died today at his Rome residence, surrounded by his loved ones.

He will lie in state ahead of a funeral service which will take place on Friday, January 23, at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome.

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