Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has passed away at the age of 91, the Armani Group announced Thursday.
The visionary designer, celebrated for defining a quintessentially Italian aesthetic and transforming Hollywood’s red carpet culture, left an indelible mark on the fashion world.
“Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” the Armani Group said in a statement. The tribute described the founder as “a tireless driving force.”
A joint message from his family and employees emphasized his legacy: “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.”
In June 2025, Armani was absent from his brand’s Milan Men’s Fashion Week show for the first time in his career, with the company stating at the time that he was “recovering at home.” His health condition was not disclosed.
In a fashion industry increasingly dominated by conglomerates like LVMH and Kering, Armani stood apart as one of the last independent titans, remaining the sole shareholder of his company. Analysts valued the Armani business in 2024 at between 8 to 10 billion euros ($9.3 to $11.7 billion). With no clear successor, the future of the house he built remains uncertain.
Plans to celebrate Armani’s 50th anniversary in business had been set for this year’s Milan Fashion Week, including an exhibition at the Pinacoteca di Brera—the museum’s first ever dedicated to fashion—and a runway presentation at Palazzo Brera.
In August 2025, he appeared on the cover of the Financial Times’ supplement HTSI, reflecting on his lifelong devotion to fashion and his company. “I don’t know if I’d use the word workaholic, but hard work is certainly essential to success,” Armani said. “My only regret in life was spending too many hours working and not enough time with friends and family.”
Born in 1934 in Piacenza, northern Italy, Armani initially pursued medicine before military service redirected his path. In 1957, he joined Milan’s La Rinascente department store as a window dresser, beginning his lifelong association with the city.
In 1964, Nino Cerruti hired Armani, then a buyer at La Rinascente, to design menswear. There, Armani discovered the unstructured jacket—a suit stripped of heavy lining and padding—that would become his signature.
During this time, Armani met architect Sergio Galeotti, who became both his life and business partner. Galeotti convinced him to establish his own brand, and together they founded Giorgio Armani in 1975.
The brand’s first menswear line was quickly embraced in the United States, stocked by Barneys New York in 1976. A womenswear collection followed, notable for its pioneering androgynous look. “I was the first to soften the image of men, and harden the image of women,” Armani once remarked.
His designs soon attracted Hollywood. In 1980, Richard Gere’s Armani suits in American Gigolo turned into cultural icons. Stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sophia Loren, Jodie Foster, Sean Connery, and Tina Turner embraced Armani’s refined aesthetic, placing him in direct rivalry with Gianni Versace, whose flamboyant style contrasted sharply with Armani’s understated sophistication.
In 1985, Galeotti died of AIDS, leaving Armani as the sole shareholder of the company. Reflecting on their bond, Armani told Vanity Fair in 2000: “Love is too reductive a term. It was a great complicity vis-à-vis life and the rest of the world.”
Over the years, Armani expanded with diffusion and lifestyle lines including Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Exchange, and Armani/Casa. In 2011, he inaugurated a sprawling Armani complex in central Milan, combining boutiques with a hotel, nightclub, and luxury services, following the launch of the Armani Hotel Dubai in the Burj Khalifa a year earlier.
A passionate sports supporter, Armani purchased Olimpia Milano, Italy’s top basketball team, in 2008. His sportswear line, EA7, drew inspiration from footballer Andriy Shevchenko’s jersey number and went on to outfit Italy’s Olympic teams at London 2012, Rio 2016, and Tokyo 2020.
Even today, Armani’s legacy resonates strongly in both contemporary and vintage markets. His tailoring—precise, timeless, and minimalist—remains highly sought after. Armani’s women’s pantsuits continue to be a statement of empowerment, worn most recently by Cate Blanchett at Wimbledon in 2025.
Throughout his life, Armani received numerous honors, including the Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 2021 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In 2002, he was appointed UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, reflecting his broader humanitarian commitments.
Giorgio Armani’s passing marks the end of an era, but his enduring influence on fashion, culture, and design will remain a cornerstone of global luxury for generations to come.