Le Journal

Valentino Garavani, the jet-set Italian designer whose high-glamour gowns — often in his trademark shade of “Valentino red” — were fashion show staples for nearly half a century, has died at home in Rome, his foundation announced Monday. He was 93. “Valentino Garavani was not only a constant guide and inspiration for all of us, but a true source of light, creativity and vision,″ the foundation said in a statement posted on social media. His body will repose at the foundation’s headquarters in Rome on Wednesday and Thursday. The funeral will be held Friday at the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri in Rome’s Piazza della Repubblica. Universally known by his first name, Valentino was adored by generations of royals, first ladies and movie stars, from Jackie Kennedy Onassis to Julia Roberts and Queen Rania of Jordan, who swore the designer always made them look and feel their best. Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani walks the catwalk with his models after a fashion show on October 20, 1991 in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere, File) “I know what women want,” he once remarked. “They want to be beautiful.” Never one for edginess or statement dressing, Valentino made precious few fashion faux-pas throughout his nearly half-century-long career, which stretched from his early days in Rome in the 1960s through to his retirement in 2008. FILE – Models join the public in clapping hands as they flank Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani at the end of the show of his spring-summer collection in Rome, Italy on Jan. 20, 1971. (AP Photo/Gianni Foggia, File) His fail-safe designs made Valentino the king of the red carpet, the go-to man for A-listers’ awards ceremony needs. His sumptuous gowns have graced countless Academy Awards, notably in 2001, when Roberts wore a vintage black and white column to accept her best actress statue. Cate Blanchett also wore Valentino — a one-shouldered number in butter-yellow silk — when she won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 2004. Valentino was also behind the long-sleeved lace dress Jacqueline Kennedy wore for her wedding to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis in 1968. Kennedy and Valentino were close friends for decades, and for a spell the one-time U.S. first lady wore almost exclusively Valentino. Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, left, waves to the public and holds by the hand American actress Sharon Stone wearing a wedding gown at the end of Valentino’s 1994 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection in Paris October 13, 1993. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File) He was also close to Diana, Princess of Wales, who often donned his sumptuous gowns. Beyond his signature orange-tinged shade of red, other Valentino trademarks included bows, ruffles, lace and embroidery; in short, feminine, flirty embellishments that added to the dresses’ beauty and hence to that of the wearers. Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani with model Yasmeen Ghauri during his Fall Winter 1991-1992 fashion show. (David Lefranc/Kipa/Sygma via Getty Images file) Perpetually tanned and always impeccably dressed, Valentino shared the lifestyle of his jet-set patrons. In addition to his 152-foot yacht and an art collection including works by Picasso and Miro, the couturier owned a 17th-century chateau near Paris with a garden said to boast more than a million roses. Valentino and his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti flitted among their homes — which also included places in New York, London, Rome, Capri and Gstaad, Switzerland — traveling with their pack of pugs. The pair regularly received A-list friends and patrons, including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow. Fashion 12 hours ago Milan Fashion Week: Five trends and buzzwords from menswear previews for next winter Business Dec 2, 2025 Prada acquires fashion rival Versace in a deal worth nearly $1.4 billion “When I see somebody and unfortunately she’s relaxed and running around in jogging trousers and without any…

The San Jose Sharks have acquired one of the most sought-after trade candidates of the NHL season by getting winger Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks more than six weeks before the March 6 deadline. San Jose sent 2026 and ’27 second-round draft picks and minor league defenseman Cole Clayton to Vancouver for the 30-year-old pending free agent. The teams announced the deal Monday. Sherwood led the Canucks with 17 goals through their first 48 games. He also has six assists. “We would like to thank Kiefer for all his hard work and dedication in Vancouver,” Canucks general manager Patrik Alvin said. “As an organization, we take a lot of pride in giving him the opportunity to grow and excel as a player. Given where things currently stand and the direction of our rebuild, we felt it was necessary to make a move like this as we continue to build our pipeline.” Giving up draft picks to get Sherwood signals a shift for the Sharks from sellers to buyers. They’re in a playoff spot past the midway point of the season. San Jose visits two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida on Monday night. ___ AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Tourists aren’t the only ones visiting Alcatraz Island these days. A guest relations employee for Alcatraz City Cruises sent NBC Bay Area a video showing a coyote swimming near the southern edge of the island last Wednesday. The employee said the video was sent to him by a tourist who captured the rare sighting on their phone, adding that he’s never seen it recorded before. The captain of the boat told the employee unusual currents in San Francisco Bay made for tough swimming conditions, likely due to storm runoff. Where exactly the coyote came from wasn’t immediately known.

A group of young people on bikes battered and robbed a man in San Francisco Saturday afternoon after he tried to tell them to slow down, police said. The battery and robbery happened just before 3 p.m. along the 900 block of Beach Street near Aquatic Cove, according to police. Citing a preliminary investigation, police said the man attempted to tell multiple juveniles on bicycles to reduce their speed. One of the juveniles responded by battering the man, sparking a verbal confrontation between the victim and the juveniles, police said. The altercation escalated when more juveniles battered the victim as he tried to flee. The juveniles chased after the man and continued to batter him as he tried to get away, police said. One juvenile stole the victim’s property in the process, prompting the victim to try to get it back. Bystanders confronted the juveniles, causing them to take off but leave the man’s property behind, police said. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, according to police. Police didn’t immediately say how many juveniles were involved or how old they are. No arrests had been made as of Monday. An investigation is underway. Anyone with information is urged to call San Francisco police at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.