In the heart of Rome, the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri was filled with figures from fashion, media and culture, all there to bid farewell to Italian designer Valentino Garavani. His influence, felt across generations of designers and collaborators, was reflected in every attentive moment of the service.

Valentino, who died on January 19 at the age of 93, had a career that spanned decades and continents. The service, held at 11 am near Piazza della Repubblica, brought together figures connected to his work at different stages of his career, highlighting a designer whose impact continued to resonate even after his retirement.

Anne Hathaway – Getty Images

Inside the basilica, the setting was restrained. The coffin was surrounded by white flowers, and music selections such as Mozart’s Lacrimosa and traditional Ave Maria compositions added solemnity without dominating the service.

Attendees included Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway and her husband Adam Shulman, fashion figures Donatella Versace and Tom Ford, and Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Also present were Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele and former creative directors Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, alongside other designers and cultural names who had worked with or admired the designer over the years.

Vernon Bruce Hoeksema – Getty Images

Many had worked with Valentino on couture commissions, fashion editorials or other projects, and the presence of multiple generations reflected the reach of his work.

During the liturgy, Vernon Bruce Hoeksema, Valentino’s longtime partner, addressed the congregation with a brief message of thanks to those who had shared in the designer’s life and work. The priest noted Valentino’s contribution to fashion as an art form, highlighting the enduring influence of his designs.

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Elements of Valentino’s approach to design continue to shape the fashion industry. His attention to detail, signature tones and methodical approach to luxury fashion remain reference points for designers and fashion houses today. Over his career, he dressed royalty, heads of state and leading figures from film and culture, while maintaining a clear identity for his fashion house across decades.

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After the service, Valentino’s coffin was escorted to the Flaminio Cemetery in Rome. The Valentino house has confirmed that its Spring/Summer 2026 collection will proceed in Paris, signalling continuity for the brand following his passing.

The farewell in Rome was measured and formal, giving attendees an opportunity to reflect on a career that spanned more than fifty years and continues to influence fashion and culture today.

Kate Middleton has reinforced her status as a winter style reference with a checked coat that balances practicality and refined tailoring. On a recent visit to Scotland with Prince William, where they met the GB and Paralympics GB curling teams, the Princess of Wales chose a blue longline double-breasted wool coat by Blazé Milano. She paired it with a turtleneck jumper and pointed-toe Gianvito Rossi boots, creating an ensemble that is both functional and carefully composed.

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The coat’s tailored shape and subtle checked pattern make it the central piece of the outfit, providing structure while allowing the supporting items, including simple knitwear, a skirt or trousers, and fitted boots, to complement it without distraction.
Her styling demonstrates how careful proportion and layering can lift a practical winter coat into a considered, cohesive look.

This choice continues a pattern in Kate’s winter wardrobe, where checked coats balance style with context. Heritage patterns like tartan and subtle checks, long established in British fashion, are applied here with precision, referencing local heritage while remaining contemporary. The ensemble reflects attention to detail and careful styling.

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Kate’s approach also shows that winter outerwear can serve multiple functions. A well-fitted coat accommodates layers for warmth while retaining clean lines, and pairing it with tailored boots ensures the coat remains the focal point throughout public engagements. In this context, checked coats become versatile, wearable pieces that combine sophistication with practicality.

For readers looking to replicate the effect, the formula is straightforward: choose a mid-length checked or tartan coat with a tailored fit, layer simple pieces underneath, and finish with structured boots. This combination results in a visually coherent and seasonally appropriate outfit, grounded in proportion and practicality rather than trend-led details.

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Through this choice, Kate Middleton illustrates that winter outerwear need not be merely functional. With considered tailoring, pattern, and complementary pieces, a checked coat can define a look, offering both style and practicality for the colder months while remaining approachable for everyday wear and public engagements alike.

Prince Harry arrived in the United Kingdom earlier this week with a single purpose: to attend the opening of a High Court case that has taken years to reach trial. The Duke of Sussex returned to London as proceedings began at the Royal Courts of Justice in a lawsuit against Associated Newspapers Ltd., the publisher of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

The case centres on allegations that the publisher engaged in unlawful information-gathering practices, including phone hacking, the use of private investigators and other covert methods to obtain personal information. Associated Newspapers has denied all claims, stating that its reporting has always been carried out lawfully and within accepted journalistic standards.

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Harry is one of several prominent claimants bringing the case. Others include Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, actresses Elizabeth Hurley and Sadie Frost, former Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes, and Baroness Doreen Lawrence, a long-standing campaigner whose son Stephen Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack in 1993. The group argues that they were targeted through what they describe as intrusive and illegal practices, carried out over extended periods without their knowledge.

The trial is expected to run for up to nine weeks, according to court schedules, and will be overseen by Mr Justice Nicklin. Some of the allegations are said to date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s, a factor that has already raised complex legal questions around limitation periods and the availability of evidence. Harry’s legal team maintains that the methods allegedly used were deliberately concealed, preventing earlier challenges.

This case forms part of a broader pattern in Harry’s legal dealings with the British press. In 2023, he secured a High Court victory against Mirror Group Newspapers, where the court found evidence of unlawful information gathering and awarded damages. A separate claim against another publisher was later resolved through a settlement. Together, these actions have positioned Harry as one of the most legally active public figures challenging historic tabloid practices in the UK.

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Harry is expected to give evidence early in the proceedings. The trial will hear testimony from journalists, editors and investigators connected to the publications involved, with arguments likely to focus not only on individual incidents but also on newsroom culture and decision-making during the period in question.

Legal specialists say the case will be closely examined for its potential implications. Beyond the personal claims, it raises questions about how far courts are prepared to scrutinise past media conduct and how privacy laws apply to practices that were once widespread but are now heavily restricted.
Harry’s presence in London reflects the weight he attaches to the case. This is not a symbolic appearance or a brief return, but a deliberate engagement with a legal process that could influence how historic tabloid behaviour is assessed and challenged in the UK today.