Valentino Garavani, the Italian fashion designer whose impeccable elegance and extravagant lifestyle made him an arbiter of taste for movie stars and royalty for more than five decades, has died, according to his foundation. He was 93.

Valentino died in Rome, the city where the impeccably groomed, sun-kissed master of haute couture built a global fashion empire defined by glamour, discipline and theatrical refinement.

A fixture of Hollywood’s most glamorous nights, Valentino dressed generations of leading actresses, with Elizabeth Taylor, Julia Roberts and Cate Blanchett among the stars who turned to his gowns for Oscar ceremonies.

The creator of the iconic “Valentino red” — a signature shade later recognized by color authority Pantone Inc. — rose to international prominence in the 1960s. His status was cemented when former US first lady Jacqueline Kennedy became his most famous client, wearing a Valentino dress for her marriage to Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis.