ITALIAN FASHION DESIGNER Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91.

In a statement this afternoon, Giorgio’s namesake company, Armani, confirmed that he passed away “surrounded by his loved ones”.

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

“Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.”

Synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance, Armani combined the flair of the designer with the acumen of a businessman, with the company turning over some €2.3 billion annually.

He founded Armani, in 1975, which eventually expanded into music, sport, and luxury hotels.

By the beginning of the 21st century, Armani was acclaimed as the most successful designer of Italian origin, and is credited with pioneering red-carpet fashion.

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.

Armani died ahead of the planned 50th anniversary celebrations of the company that he had founded.

They are set to take place at Milan fashion week in late September.

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. This was the first time in his career that he had missed one of his catwalk events.

Fellow Italian fashion giant Donatella Versace was among the first to pay tribute to Armani.

“The world lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever,” Versace said.