ADVERTISEMENT The Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, has died at the age of 91.
“Giorgio Armani passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones, after working until his last days. He was a forerunner, extending his vision from fashion to every aspect of living,” a statement released by the Armani Group reads.
Armani missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition. He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.
Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister of Italy has shared a tribute to Giorgio Armani: “Giorgio Armani leaves us at 91 years old. With his elegance, sobriety, and creativity, he was able to bring lustre to Italian fashion and inspire the entire world. An icon, a tireless worker, a symbol of the best of Italy. Thank you for everything.”
Starting with an unlined jacket, a simple pair of pants and an urban palette, Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late 1970s, creating an instantly recognizable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.
From the executive office to the Hollywood screen, Armani dressed the rich and famous in classic tailored styles, fashioned in super-soft fabrics and muted tones. His handsome black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets.
At the time of his death, Armani had put together an empire worth over $10 billion, which along with clothing included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers and even chocolates, ranking him in the world’s top 200 billionaires, according to Forbes.
“I design for real people. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothes and accessories that are not practical,” he liked to say when asked to identify his clientele.
Born on 11 July 1934, in Piacenza, a small town south of Milan, Armani dreamed of becoming a doctor before a part-time job as a window decorator in a Milan department store opened his eyes to the world of fashion.
In 1975, Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for $10,000 to start up their own menswear ready-to-wear label. Womenswear followed a year later.
The symbol of his new style was the liningless sports jacket, which was launched in the late 1970s and became an instant success from Hollywood to Wall Street. The designer paired the jacket with a simple t-shirt, an item of clothing he termed “the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet.”
The Armani suit soon became a must in the closet of the well-heeled man. And for women, the introduction of the pantsuit in the executive workroom was all but revolutionary.
Dubbed the “power suit” with its shoulder-padded jacket and man-tailored trousers, it became the trademark of the rising class of businesswomen in the 1980s.
When it came to the big screen, Armani also made his mark.
The 1980 classic American Gigolo launched both Armani and actor Richard Gere on their Hollywood careers. Dressed in Armani, Gere became America’s new favorite heart throb, and “Geeorgeeo” as they called him, the glam set’s most popular designer.
The Hollywood connection earned him wardrobe film credits in over 200 films, and in 2003 a place on Rodeo Drive’s “Walk of Fame.”
Longtime devotees to Armani included Jodie Foster, Sean Penn, George Clooney, Sofia Loren and Brad Pitt. David and Victoria Beckham were the “face” of his 2009 underwear ad campaign.
So significant was the impact of Armani style, not only on how people dressed but how they approached fashion, that in 2000 New York’s Guggenheim museum presented a retrospective of Armani’s first 25 years in fashion.
“I love things that age well, things that don’t date and become living examples of the absolute best,” Armani said of his efforts.
His partner Sergio died in 1985 and Armani had no children but was very close to his niece Roberta. She abandoned a budding film career to become his director of public relations, and often represented her uncle at social events.
