ROME / MILAN — Valentino Garavani, the iconic Italian designer whose glamorous gowns dressed royalty, first ladies and Hollywood stars for nearly five decades, died Monday at his home in Rome at the age of 93, according to his foundation.

Universally known simply as Valentino, he became synonymous with timeless elegance and his signature “Valentino red,” creating unforgettable looks for figures such as Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Princess Diana, Julia Roberts, Cate Blanchett and Queen Rania of Jordan.

“Valentino was a true source of light, creativity and vision,” the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation said in a statement. Born in 1932 in northern Italy, Valentino founded his fashion house in Rome in 1959 and retired in 2008, leaving behind a legacy that shaped red-carpet fashion and global haute couture.

His influence endures through the Valentino brand and a design philosophy that made beauty, refinement and femininity his enduring signature.