Farewell to Valentino, the elegance of his yacht still sets the standard

With the passing of Valentino Garavani on January 19, 2026 at the age of 93, the fashion and design world mourns not only a legendary couturier, but also an aesthete who was able to transfer his vision of elegance to the sea. His yacht, the T.M. Blue One, remains a unique and inimitable piece, a faithful mirror of his creations. Although its length of 49 meters does not place it among the giants of modern yachting, the vessel remains one of the most admired in the Mediterranean, distinguished by a timeless style that contrasts sharply with the often excessive aesthetics of contemporary megayachts.

Commissioned in 1988 from Viareggio’s historic Cantieri Picchiotti, the T.M. Blue One (whose name is an affectionate tribute to the designer’s parents, Teresa and Mauro) is the result of a collaboration between two international design signatures: naval architect Gerhard Gilgenast for the exteriors and the eccentric Peter Marino for the interiors. Originally 41 meters long, the yacht was brought up to its current 49 in 2014 thanks to a refitting carried out by the Lusben shipyard in Viareggio, a job that managed to update the volumes without altering the harmony of the whole.

In technical terms, the boat is powered by two 1,250-hp Caterpillar engines, which allow cruising at 14 knots. This choice fully reflects the philosophy of Valentino, who always opposed increasing engine power to preserve the pleasure of slow and discreet cruising, experienced in total privacy in the company of a few intimates and his beloved pug dogs. Aesthetically, the yacht looks like a masterpiece of color balance, with a navy blue livery furrowed by a thin blue line and white superstructures (“Like a yachtsman blue blazer with white shirt”), while the funnel proudly bears the Maison’s famous circled “V.”

Despite its notoriety, the interior of the T.M. Blue One has remained protected by strict secrecy, as no official images of the interior layout have ever been released. The chronicles describe “Dolce Vita”-style rooms, immaculately maintained and cozy, capable of accommodating up to ten passengers followed by a crew of nine. The launching of the boat, which had as its exceptional godmother Sophia Loren, muse and friend of the designer, remains the only moment of explicit glamour in a nautical history of silent elegance and loyalty to the places of the heart, such as Argentario: the last AIS survey sees the T.M Blue One moored in the beloved Viareggio.

Federico Lanfranchi