Legendary Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani devoted his life to creating outfits that celebrated women’s beauty and dignity, his longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti said on Tuesday, following the designer’s death at the age of 93.

Speaking to journalists outside Valentino’s headquarters in Rome, Giammetti said the designer always believed fashion should enhance women rather than overshadow them.

“He often said, ‘It’s not my fault, I just love beauty,’” Giammetti said. “From a creative point of view, he taught us to respect women.”

Valentino, who founded his fashion house in 1960, dressed some of the world’s most famous women, including Elizabeth Taylor, Nancy Reagan, Sharon Stone and Julia Roberts. He was known for creating iconic red-carpet looks and for his signature shade, widely known as “Valentino red”.

Giammetti said Valentino’s lasting legacy was the belief that fashion exists to embellish, not to ridicule. His business partner’s vision and craftsmanship helped turn the Valentino label into one of the world’s most recognisable luxury brands.

Valentino’s body will lie in state from Wednesday at the Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti Foundation, next to the designer’s historic atelier in central Rome.

On Tuesday, admirers gathered outside the foundation, laying red roses in tribute. Among them was 21-year-old fashion student Luca Bonilli, who said Valentino had been a source of inspiration.

“It is a great loss. Even for those who are not deeply interested in fashion, he was an important figure,” Bonilli said.

Valentino’s funeral will be held on Friday at the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels and of the Martyrs in the Italian capital.

With inputs from NDTV