Iconic Italian Fashion Designer Giorgio Armani Dead at 91
Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian designer who turned understated elegance into a global fashion empire, has died at the age of 91. His fashion house confirmed he passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by loved ones.
Known as “Il Signor Armani” or simply “King George” in Italy, Armani built a multibillion-dollar empire over five decades and became one of the most recognizable names and faces in the fashion world.
A Pioneer of Red-Carpet Fashion
Armani founded his namesake label in Milan in 1975, selling his Volkswagen for $10,000 to help finance the launch. What began with an unlined sports jacket and muted palettes grew into a revolution in fashion — soft tailoring, elegant silhouettes, and the famous Armani “power suit” that defined women’s workwear in the 1980s.
From Wall Street boardrooms to Hollywood premieres, Armani’s sleek, minimalist designs became a status symbol. His red-carpet gowns graced stars like Anne Hathaway, Jodie Foster, Sophia Loren, and George Clooney, while Richard Gere’s Armani-clad role in American Gigolo cemented the designer’s place in pop culture.
By the 2000s, Armani’s reach extended far beyond fashion. His empire spanned clothing, accessories, fragrances, home décor, chocolates, hotels, and restaurants, with an estimated worth of over $10 billion USD. He even owned his own basketball team, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan.
The Man Behind the Brand
With his silver hair, tan complexion, and signature T-shirt-and-jeans uniform, Armani was the living embodiment of his easygoing yet refined style. Despite his gentle demeanor, he was known as a shrewd businessman who always maintained full control of his company — never merging or selling, unlike many other fashion houses.
Armani once said:
“I design for real people. There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothes and accessories that are not practical.”
That philosophy kept his clothes wearable while elevating them to iconic status.
A Legacy Beyond Fashion
Armani’s influence stretched far beyond the runway. He dressed stars in more than 200 films, earned a retrospective at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, and was a strong supporter of charitable causes, from AIDS research to refugee aid as a UN goodwill ambassador.
He was weeks away from celebrating 50 years of his fashion house at Milan Fashion Week this month.
Tributes Pour In
Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli remembered Armani as “a leading figure in Italian culture, who was able to transform elegance into a universal language.”
His funeral will be private, but a funeral chamber in Milan will be open this weekend for fans and admirers to pay their respects.
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