Close your eyes and picture the word “Valentino.” Chances are, you’re seeing a very specific shade of red. This visual imprint is part of the creative legacy left behind by the Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani, who died at home on January 19 at the age of 93. 

Throughout his career, Garavani became synonymous with red—so much so that a myth that his signature brand color, Valentino Rosso, was once patented with universal color-matching company Pantone has become part of fashion canon. While other designers—like Jason Wu, Richard Nicoll, and Kate Spade—have indeed made custom brand colors with Pantone, the company says that Garavani never turned Valentino Rosso into an official Pantone hue. Pantone swatch or no, one thing is........

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