The fashion world is in mourning: Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died. He died at the age of 91.

He was absent from Milan Fashion Week for the first time: Giorgio Armani. In June 2025, the fashion legend had to cancel the presentation of his Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection due to illness. He had actually planned to hold a grand celebration of his fashion house's 50th anniversary that month.

Armani makes Milan world famous

In the late 1970s, Armani made international fashion history out of an unlined jacket, simple trousers, and a muted color palette. He invented a relaxed silhouette that defined his house's style for half a century.

From the boardroom to Hollywood, Armani dressed the rich and beautiful. Supersoft fabrics, muted colors, elegant tuxedos, and sparkling evening gowns—with them, he conquered the red carpets.

A $10 billion empire

At the time of his death, Armani ruled an empire worth more than $10 billion. Clothing, accessories, furniture, perfume, cosmetics, books, flowers, and even chocolate—everything bore his name. According to Forbes, he was one of the world's 200 richest billionaires.

He also opened bars, clubs, restaurants, and his basketball team, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, better known as Olympia Milano. Since 1998, he has opened over 20 restaurants from Milan to Tokyo, as well as two hotels: in Dubai in 2009 and in Milan in 2010.

Armani was his own style

His trademark: blue eyes, a permanent tan, silver-gray hair, jeans, and a T-shirt. His homes were minimalist in design."I design for real people. There's no point in creating clothes and accessories that aren't practical," he said of his fashion.

But behind the smile and polite manner lay a tough entrepreneur. No merger, no sale."Re Giorgio" – King George – always remained his own boss.

A VW was the starting capital

▶︎ Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza. He originally wanted to be a doctor. But a part-time job as a window dresser in Milan led him into fashion. In 1975, Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for $10,000. With the proceeds, they founded their own label, first menswear, then womenswear.

His symbol: the unlined jacket. In the late 1970s, it conquered Hollywood and Wall Street. Along with the simple T-shirt, he considered it the"alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet." Armani suits became a must-have in the wardrobes of wealthy men. For women, he revolutionized the office with the pantsuit. Shoulder pads, tailored trousers—the power suit was born.

Later, Armani refined the look. Luxurious fabrics, light colors, but always beige and gray as a base. Critics also called his style"androgynous."

In 1980, his Hollywood breakthrough came:"American Gigolo." Richard Gere in an Armani suit—America's new crush. Armani became a darling of the glamour scene. He was listed in the costume credits for over 200 films. In 2003, he received a star on the Rodeo Drive Walk of Fame.

Oscar nights in Armani splendor

Sean Penn won the 2009 Oscar in black-on-black Armani. Anne Hathaway radiated in a white gown from the Prive Couture collection. Jodie Foster, George Clooney, Sophia Loren, and Brad Pitt all wore Armani. David and Victoria Beckham were the faces of his 2009 underwear campaign.

In 2000, the Guggenheim Museum in New York even dedicated a major retrospective to Armani, covering his first 25 years in fashion."I love things that age well, that don't go out of style and become living examples of the absolute best," he once said.

By 2023, Armani employed over 9,000 people, half of whom were women in leadership positions. He operated seven production sites and more than 600 stores worldwide. In 2009, he opened his fifth multi-brand store on Fifth Avenue in New York.

▶︎ Bars, restaurants, clubs – and his basketball team: these were also part of his world. He spent his free time in country houses near Milan, on Pantelleria, or in St. Tropez. All simple, austere, minimalist.

Armani was committed to children's aid projects and the fight against AIDS. In 2002, the UN appointed him Special Ambassador for Refugees.

Family and succession

His partner, Sergio Galeotti, died in 1985. Armani had no children. He was close to his niece, Roberta. She gave up her film career, became his PR director, and often his voice at social events. In 2006, she organized the wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. Armani designed the outfits for the bride and groom.

Armani envisioned his menswear boss Leo Dell’Orco and his niece Silvana Armani, who headed the women’s division, as his successors.

The fashion icon started small as a self-taught designer and built a fashion empire in the 1970s that includes not only clothing but also jewelry, perfumes, interior design, and luxury hotels. With a fortune of around $13 billion, Armani ranked second on Forbes' 2023 list of Italy's richest people.