Meet Giancarlo Giammetti, long-time partner of the late Valentino Garavani
He co-founded the Valentino fashion house and rubbed shoulders with everyone from Princess Diana and Elton John to Anne Hathaway
Those closest to the designer included his long-time friend and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti, also known as GG. Throughout the 1960s until the early 70s, the duo were in a romantic relationship, and while it didn’t last, they remained inseparable for decades.
Here’s what to know about the gentleman who was always by Valentino’s side.
He co-founded Valentino
Born in Rome in 1942, Giancarlo Giammetti attended the city’s Collegio San Gabriele before studying architecture at university.
Garavani and Giammetti were the two powers behind the Valentino fashion empire, established in 1960 in Rome. The brand was sold in 1998 to Italian conglomerate Holding di Partecipazioni Industriali for about US$300 million, then in 2002 to Italian textile manufacturer the Marzotto Group for the equivalent of US$210 million in cash plus assumed debt, and again in 2012 to Qatar‑backed Mayhoola for Investments for a reported US$850 million to US$930 million.
He’s active on social media
Giammetti’s Instagram followers number about 513,000 at the time of writing. His profile includes a mix of travel snapshots, iconic fashion throwbacks and, of course, posts dedicated to Garavani.