Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian designer whose vision of understated elegance reshaped global fashion and built a multibillion-euro empire, has died at 91.
According to a statement from the Armani Group, the designer “passed peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones” just weeks before a planned celebration of the brand’s 50th anniversary. A private funeral will be held in Milan, though his casket will be open for public viewing on September 6 and 7 at the company’s headquarters.
For nearly five decades, Armani stood as a towering figure in the fashion world — not only as a creator but also as a rare designer who retained full control of his company. From humble beginnings as a window dresser in Milan to becoming the richest fashion designer in the world, Armani’s career embodied the fusion of artistry and business acumen.
His softly tailored suits, often credited with redefining the 1980s working wardrobe, revolutionised how men and women dressed for power and confidence. For women, he offered fluid yet sharp tailoring that echoed Coco Chanel’s emancipatory designs decades earlier. For men, his unstructured jackets and relaxed silhouettes projected effortless sophistication.
Armani’s influence extended far beyond the runway. He brought Hollywood into fashion’s orbit, famously dressing Richard Gere in American Gigolo (1980) and later outfitting stars for more than 200 films, as well as countless Oscars red carpets. “Elegance is not about being noticed,” he once said. “It’s about being remembered.”
Even as rivals sold to luxury conglomerates, Armani remained fiercely independent. He grew his company into a global powerhouse of fashion, fragrances, hotels, and furniture, generating €2.3 billion in revenues in 2024. Yet his obsession with control — serving simultaneously as designer, chairman, and CEO — meant speculation always swirled about succession. Only recently, after ill health forced him to miss fashion week for the first time, did he hint at gradually handing over responsibilities to trusted collaborators and family members.
Born in Piacenza, Italy, on July 11, 1934, Armani’s path was shaped by both wartime hardship and an enduring love of cinema. After abandoning medical studies, he found work in Milan’s La Rinascente department store, then designed for Nino Cerruti before launching his label in 1975 with partner Sergio Galeotti. Within a decade, Time magazine hailed him as “The King” of fashion.
Though sometimes criticised for consistency, Armani built a brand synonymous with refinement, restraint, and longevity. His empire grew to include Armani Exchange, Emporio Armani, and luxury flagships in Milan, New York, and beyond. In 2016, he established the Giorgio Armani Foundation to preserve the group’s independence after his death.
Armani remained an intensely private man. He never married, rarely gave interviews, and kept his circle small, though his love for Galeotti, who died of AIDS in 1985, shaped both his personal and professional life.
With an estimated fortune of $11.4 billion, Armani was not only a symbol of Italian style but also of resilience, discipline, and singular vision. His legacy endures in every power suit, every red-carpet moment, and in the timeless elegance he championed.
