But he finally had a bona fide cinematic moment of his own in 2001, when Julia Roberts accepted her Erin Brockovich Oscar wearing a vintage 1992 Valentino gown, a look he later called one of the happiest moments of his career because “movie stars love my clothes.”

The death of Valentino Garavani has shaken the fashion world. Stars and models honor the designer and his life's work with emotional words. Gwyneth Paltrow even speaks of the "end of an era".

Italian fashion designer died at age 93, according to a Jan. 19 post from his fashion house. Since the announcement, tributes to the legendary figure have poured in from celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Cindy Crawford.

Valentino’s relationship with Black culture began early and decisively—at a time when most luxury houses resisted inclusion altogether. In the 1960s, Ebony Fashion Fair executive Eunice Johnson personally convinced Valentino to allow Black models to wear his designs during the touring fashion show.

After Valentino Garavani’s death, Gwyneth Paltrow reveals unseen moments of humor, friendship, and love behind the fashion empire.

A look at some of the Italian fashion designer’s greatest moments, after his death at the age of 93