Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani passes away at 91

Italian fashion great Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91 "surrounded by his loved ones", his company said Thursday.

“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” the fashion house said in a statement.

Armani, who was 91, was synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance. He combined the flair of the designer with the acumen of a businessman, running a company that turned over some €2.3 billion ($2.7 billion) a year.

He had been unwell for some time, and was forced to drop out of his group’s shows at Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week in June, the first time in his career that he had missed one of his catwalk events.

Known as “Re Giorgio” – King Giorgio – the designer was known for overseeing every detail of his collection and every aspect of his business, from advertising to fixing models’ hair as they head out on to the runway.

A funeral chamber will be set up on Saturday and Sunday in Milan, the company said, followed by a private funeral at an unspecified date.

Renowned for redefining Italian style and elegance, Armani transformed men’s and women’s suits for a modern audience and built a fashion empire that expanded into beauty, fragrance, music, sports, and luxury hotels. His company generated over £2 billion annually.

In a statement on its Instagram page, the Armani brand said the designer “worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing future projects.” He was described as “indefatigable to the end” and “driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present and to people.”

Armani was a pioneer in the industry, elevating red carpet fashion and championing model welfare, famously banning underweight models from the runway following the death of Ana Carolina Reston in 2006.

In one of his last interviews, The Financial Times’ Alexander Fury highlighted Armani’s transformative impact on fashion: “He put women into a uniform of suits just as radical as Chanel’s, creating forceful, confident clothing that helped to power the working woman’s social revolution of the 1980s. By contrast, he relaxed menswear, deconstructing traditional tailoring in a manner that has affected how just about every suit in the world is made.”

A friend to Hollywood, Armani dressed stars such as Zendaya, Cate Blanchett, and Julia Roberts for the Oscars, designed stage outfits for Lady Gaga, and created costumes for films including American Gigolo and The Wolf of Wall Street. Even in his 90s, he continued presenting new collections, with his March 2025 show reflecting his vision of global harmony.

Vogue’s Laura Ingham paid tribute to Armani, calling him a “true gentleman” and a “titan of the industry.” She noted, “If you don’t know anything about fashion, you’ll still know Giorgio Armani. Mr. Armani built a house synonymous with timeless Italian elegance and enduring style.”