Legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani dies at 91
Giorgio Armani, an iconic Italian fashion designer known for his elegance and simplicity, passed away at the age of 91, the Armani Group confirmed.
Giorgio Armani, a well-known Italian fashion designer who achieved elegance and timelessness through simplicity, has passed away. He was 91 years old.
Armani “worked until his last day,” the Armani group announced his death in a statement on Thursday, September 4th.
“He was always respectful and called out to him by his employees and collaborators, so he passed away peacefully surrounded by his loved ones,” the Armani Group said in a statement. “It was disabled until the very end, and he worked until the last few days, focusing on his company, his collection, and many projects in progress and future.”
Armani combined the talent of designers with the insights of businessmen and ran a company that weighed over $2.7 billion a year. He has been ill for a while and had to drop out of the group’s show at Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week in June.
Born in Piacenza, Italy in 1934, Armani grew up in the northern part of the country, exchanging early medical ambitions for a fashion career, and in 1975 he launched a label of his same name.
Celebrating 50 years in the fashion industry in 2024, the home built by Armani was durable with a commitment to a perfect classic, combining expert tailoring with pragmatism and high talent. From Silken suits to Heavy Cologne, the Armani brand is simply described as substantial and rich, not just priced.
His design empire spreads across almost every aspect of modern entertainment and style, covering popular beauty brands with a favourite foundation of the cult and a star-worn red carpet approach like Julia Roberts, Michelle Pfeiffer and Richard Gere. Avid sports fan, Armani was behind the uniforms of several soccer teams, crossing design interests into hospitality spaces and opening a series of luxury hotels.
“For many years, Giorgio Armani has created a vision that expands from fashion to every aspect of life, estimating the era with extraordinary clarity and pragmatism,” the company’s statement said. “He has been driven by merciless curiosity and deep attention to the present and people. Along this journey he has become a loved and respected person for his ability to establish open dialogue with the public and connect with everyone.
In another statement attributed to his employees and family, Armani’s loved ones lamented the visionary “vacuum” of “passion and dedication.”
“In this company, we have always felt like a part of our family. Today, with deep emotions, we feel the emptiness left behind by those who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion and dedication,” the statement read.
“But it’s precisely his spirit that we, our employees and our constantly working with Mr. Armani, are committed to protecting what he has built and moving his company forward in his memory with respect, responsibility and love.”
Armani, a famous private man, never married, but in 2000 he told Vanity Fair he had a relationship with both men and women.
Armani’s funeral will be held in Milan from September 6th to 7th, and will be a private ceremony he explicitly requested, according to the company.
Contribution: Reuters
