Valentino Garavani, an icon of Italian fashion, founder of his eponymous maison, and widely regarded as one of the greatest designers of all time, died in Rome on January 19, surrounded by his loved ones.
Born in Voghera, Italy on May 11, 1932, he showed remarkable artistic talent from an early age, which led him to study drawing and fashion in Paris, where he worked with couturiers such as Jean Dessès and Guy Laroche.
Upon returning to Italy, he opened his first atelier on Via Condotti in Rome in 1960, supported by his business partner, Giancarlo Giammetti. International success soon followed: his debut show at Florence’s Palazzo Pitti in 1962 marked his breakthrough, establishing him as an undisputed standard-bearer of Italian fashion worldwide. In 1968, the famous “V” logo was introduced, later becoming the emblem of the maison. Equally iconic is his signature red, inspired by a gown he saw at the opera in his youth, which made this shade a defining hallmark of the house.
Valentino Garavani announced his retirement in 2007, at the age of 75, with a final show celebrating his extraordinary career. His legacy is also chronicled in the 2008 documentary directed by Matt Tyrnauer: “Valentino: The Last Emperor.”
Garavani’s lying in state will be held at PM23, Piazza Mignanelli 23 in Rome, on Wednesday and Thursday, January 21 and 22, 2026, from 11:00 to 18:00. The funeral will take place on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 11:00, at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Piazza della Repubblica 8, Rome.
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Pie & mash a staple diet for marathon runners? New Balance believes so and the US sportswear giant last week took over the famed M Manze Pie & Mash shop on London’s Tower Bridge Road to celebrate the launch of its new 1080v15 footwear alongside the official 2026 TCS London Marathon Training Range.
New Balance
Some 1.3 million may have applied to take part in the 2026 TCS London Marathon on 26 April, but New Balance has designed and launched the new performance range for the 15,000-20,000 balloted participants.
So the just-released 2026 TCS London Marathon Training Range, becomes the first drop in this year’s official marathon collection.
The collection aims to provide runners with products that “celebrate the marathon journey, from first training miles to the finish line”.
It said the release is built for the “training blocks leading to 26.2 miles” and will then be followed by the ‘Race Range’, launching 1 March.
The training range therefore offers “essential performance styles” suited to regular weekly mileage, “giving runners reliable options to use throughout their training plan, and across changeable winter-to-spring conditions”, it said.
Key pieces include the London Edition Marathon Jacket (£135), inspired by the original 1978 ‘Windcheater’ and the Athletics Heat Grid Half Zip LDN (£80) with heat technology “helping maintain warmth in cooler temperatures”.
These sit alongside lightweight tops: the London Edition Athletics Long Sleeve (£50), London Edition Athletics T-Shirt (£45), and London Edition Race Day Ultra-Light Singlet (£75), “offering different fits and weights for a variety of runs”.
Bottoms include the London Edition NB Sleek Pocket Tight for men (£85), the London Edition NB Sleek High-Rise Legging 25″ for women, and two short styles – the London Edition RC Ultra-Light Short 3” (£45), and London Edition RC Essential Short 5” (£45).
The collection also features a bold colour palette, with all styles featuring co-branded designs and reflective details for visibility in low light, it said, with the range now available online and selected stores.
Meanwhile, the launch of the 1080v15 becomes New Balance’s “flagship neutral running shoe…positioned as the ultimate everyday trainer for marathon training and beyond”.
And finally that pie & mash connection. New Balance partnered with ‘Run The Boroughs’ (pictured above) to host a community run through the surrounding streets of Tower Bridge to mark the collection launches.
Bringing runners together from across the capital, the route “celebrated the boroughs that make up the marathon course, reinforcing New Balance’s deep connection to grassroots running culture and the communities that power it”, it said.
Tod’s boss Diego Della Valle is of the opinion that “the next step has to be proper new legislation tailored to our industry, it takes 10 days to establish what the problems are and which solutions to put forward.” He spoke after several fashion labels, including Tod’s, were placed under judicial administration. Tod’s and three of its senior executives have been investigated by the Milan prosecutor’s office for alleged labour exploitation by some of its manufacturing subcontractors.
Diego Della Valle
“If we want to solve this issue,” said Della Valle, speaking at Tod’s fashion week presentation in Milan, “we need to talk about it… if we’re keen to solve [it] we could do it very quickly. We have to understand that small artisans are powerless because they need the work, how can they monitor five stages in the supply chain?”
“We need to sit down and take the time to understand that small entrepreneurs are injured parties, and we must protect them,” continued Della Valle. “It mustn’t even cross our mind to talk about labour exploitation, ours is a world of decent people. The [current labour] law was introduced over 20 years ago to fight really serious, nasty problems existing at the time, especially in agricultural areas. We can’t have people around the world say that we don’t care about the work of others, because that’s not true,” he added. “Entrepreneurs and legislators, we have the job of sitting at a table together, with the goal of drawing up within a month a law that will apply to and protect everyone concerned,” said Della Valle.
“When I invited [RAI TV programme] Report to visit our company,” said Della Valle about the recently broadcast interview, “I was happy to do so, because I wanted them to see what our companies are like, how they work locally. Companies do many things for their communities, I don’t want to talk about myself, many other businessmen do it. Let’s show – this is what I’m asking – the nice side [of our world] too, otherwise it’s all just horrible.” Della Valle recommended that “my entrepreneur friends invite lawmakers in their local areas to show them their companies, and I’m sure we’ll all make a grand impression.”
“Dozens of workers have been with us for three generations, and they work with integrity and have solid personal principles because that’s their background. My grandfather was a shoemaker, it’s not as if we come from the moon, it’s just not part of Italian entrepreneurial culture to be exploitative. Often, when these things happen, those who’re involved in the work aren’t even aware of them,” concluded Della Valle.
Italian label Vivetta is investing in the future, and has revealed two major new steps in its strategic evolution: it is entering menswear, and is about to open new headquarters in Milan’s central luxury shopping district.
Vivetta
In June 2025, Vivetta’s new owner, the Modamet holding company, announced that Vivetta Ponti, who founded the label in 2009 and was the creative brains behind her eponymous label, was leaving the post of creative director. She was replaced by an in-house design team, which debuted with the 2026 Resort collection. Vivetta has now revealed it is opening new headquarters in via Senato, in the very heart of Milan.
A sizeable space acquired by Modamet, soon to be home to Vivetta’s commercial offices and showroom, and where the label’s latest collection will be presented to a select group of Italian and international buyers.
In parallel, Vivetta has announced it is making a first foray in men’s fashion, presenting its inaugural collection for the pre-fall 2026-27 season. Vivetta menswear’s official runway launch is scheduled for next February, with a co-ed show at Milan Fashion Week.
“Vivetta is looking to the future, and is actually investing at a time when many are pulling back. Acquiring a new space in Milan is an important step along the route we have taken to ensure [Vivetta] is able to expand and grow as it deserves,” said Nicoletta Raponi, CEO of Vivetta, in a press release. “While we await the appointment of the person who will take creative charge of the label, we are laying the foundations for ensuring our vision’s success,” she added.
Nicoletta Raponi, CEO of Vivetta
In 2022, Modamet acquired a stake and became involved in the running of Vivetta, buying a 58% share in the company that owns the label. Modamet, based in Arezzo, Tuscany, and owned by the Anselmi family, increased its stake in July 2025, taking full control of Vivetta. Modamet is a holding company that also controls Chimera Gold S.r.l., a long-established Arezzo company active in high-end jewellery and metal components for the fashion industry. As well as in fashion, Modamet has interests in real estate, sports and pharmaceuticals.