Giorgio Armani, the beloved designer who irrevocably transformed tailoring and shaped timeless red carpet glamour, has died aged 91. The news was confirmed by the Armani Group.
The company announced that Il Signor Armani passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones. “Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects,” a statement read. His funeral chamber will be set up in Milan this weekend inside the Armani/Teatro and will be open to the public, before a private funeral service.
Mr. Armani had last taken to the runway in January 2025, receiving rapturous applause after presenting his 20th anniversary Couture collection in Paris. Days earlier, he had also showcased his latest menswear offering in the city. In June, after the Emporio Armani Menswear show, designer Leo Dell’Orco had stepped in for the curtain call.
Last summer, the hard-working designer, who showed no signs of retiring, had flown to New York City to celebrate his 90th birthday with a large-scale runway show and star-studded cocktail party in Manhattan, in synch with the opening of the new Armani flagship store in the city. At the time, the nonagenarian was still the sole shareholder of the Armani company, overseeing an expansive empire that includes Giorgio Armani, Giorgio Armani Privé, Emporio Armani, and Armani Exchange as well as cosmetics and home decor lines and hotel and hospitality endeavors.
Born in 1934, Armani originally intended on being a doctor before joining the Italian military at 19-years-old. After leaving the army, his trajectory was changed when he found work as a window dresser at the Milanese department store La Rinascente, where he was eventually hired as a sales associate.
After training under Nino Cerruti as a menswear designer, he struck out on his own in 1975 and launched his namesake label with his friend and business partner Sergio Galeotti. Within a year, his wares had been picked up by Barney’s New York and he was making waves stateside. (Galeotti, a true force behind the Armani machine, passed away at the age of 40 in 1985.)
A pivotal moment came in 1980, when Richard Gere appeared in American Gigolo as Julian Kaye kitted out in soft-shouldered suits that were the perfect mix of grey and beige. Instantly, everyone on Wall Street and beyond sought to emulate this easy, elegant tailoring which was in stark contrast to the strict, structured workwear of the time.
Ten years later, when Julia Roberts accepted her Golden Globes award at the 1990 ceremony suited and booted in a charcoal two-piece of Armani’s design, her iconic outfit popularized androgynous dressing for women everywhere — and still appears on moodboards today.
Armani has said of his approach: “I was the first to soften the image of men and harden the image of women. I dressed men in women’s fabrics, and stole from men what women wanted and needed—the power suit.”
Among his loyals fans are Hollywood heavyweights Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, Renée Zellweger, and Michelle Yeoh — all of whom have worn Armani to collect their Oscar statuettes. Never one to slow down, he launched Armani Privé, his Couture line, at 70-years-old, adding yet another string to his bow.
Among his countless awards are Italy’s prestigious Grand Knight of the Republic, two accolades from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the French Legion d’Honneur, honorary doctorates and degrees from the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins in London and the Accademia di Brera in Milan, and a star on the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style.
On Thursday morning, his company stated: “In this company, we have always felt like part of a family. Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication. But it is precisely in his spirit that we, the employees and the family members who have always worked alongside Mr. Armani, commit to protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory, with respect, responsibility, and love.”
