The announcement was made on Thursday by the representatives of his brand."With infinite sadness, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder and tireless force: Giorgio Armani.

Il Signor Armani, as he was always called with respect and admiration by his employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. Tireless until the end, he worked until his last days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the numerous ongoing and future projects.

Over the years, Giorgio Armani has created a vision that has extended from fashion to all aspects of life, anticipating the times with extraordinary clarity and pragmatism. He has been animated by a tireless curiosity and a deep attention to the present and to people. Throughout this journey, he has established an open dialogue with the public, becoming a beloved and respected figure for his ability to connect with everyone. Always attentive to the needs of the community, he has been active on many fronts, especially in support of his beloved Milan.

Giorgio Armani is a company with fifty years of history, built with emotion and patience. Giorgio Armani has always made independence – of thought and action – his hallmark. The company is, now and always, a reflection of this spirit. His family and employees will carry the Group forward, respecting and continuing these values,”, the representatives of his fashion house said.

The last days of Giorgio Armani

Armani worked until his last days – shortly before he died, he was still checking and approving outfits for the 50th anniversary collection that was to be presented at fashion week in September. He had also recently bought “La Capannina”, the place where in the 1960s he had met Sergio Galeotti, his former life and business partner.

The designer had spent a quiet summer at his home in Forte dei Marmi, worrying daily about work and friends. In recent weeks, a lung infection had forced him to stay in hospital and recover at home, which led him to miss the June show – a rare event for him. He had already had a health problem last year, but had recovered. A few days before his death, he had suffered a sudden abdominal pain, but had recovered and started eating again, the Corriere reports.

Born in Piacenza on July 11, 1934, Armani was the youngest of three children and the most pampered by his mother Maria, who passed on his sophisticated taste for style. After the war he moved to Milan and studied medicine for three years, but in 1953 he left for the army and never returned to university.

In 1957 he began working at La Rinascente as a window dresser. His sister Rosanna was a model, and fashion entered the Armani family. In 1964, Nino Cerruti noticed the exquisite shop windows on Corso Vittorio Emanuele and hired Giorgio, then 30, to run his own clothing line.

A year earlier, he had met Sergio Galeotti, an equally enterprising young man. The two became life and business partners – Galeotti was the manager, Armani the creative brain.

Armani: from passion to fame

The Giorgio Armani brand was born in 1975. His first"invention" was the term "stylist": "I'm not a tailor, but I feel like I'm someone who creates a style, a stylist," he said.

Armani understood that men and women “were not what they once were” – lives and bodies had changed, but clothes were still heavy and structured. He “emptied” clothes of heavy structures: he deconstructed men’s jackets and lightened their trousers. He dressed women in practical and comfortable clothes for everyday life – working in the office or running for a taxi.

The brand's breakthrough in the US came in 1980, when director Paul Schrader contacted him for the film"American Gigolo" with Richard Gere (originally John Travolta). In 1982, just seven years after its founding, the brand appeared on the cover of Time magazine.

The sudden death of Sergio Galeotti on August 13, 1985, marked a major turning point. “I tried to fill the immense void left by Sergio with the impetuosity typical of a naive person,” Armani said. After that day, from “designer” he became “designer-entrepreneur,” taking over everything himself—organization, planning, management. Legend has it that he became the first to arrive and the last to leave, always turning off the lights.

The empire expanded: Emporio Armani, perfumes, home, beauty, hotels, Ea7, films, books, exhibitions, eyewear, Silos, Privé haute couture. All centered on his vision:"Style is elegance, not extravagance. The important thing is not to be noticed, but to be remembered."

As the empire grew large and enviable, Armani resisted all offers to sell it—the first in the 1990s, the last last year. “The company is named after its creator, and that creates a very strong bond that survives the sale of the brand,” he explains.

In recent years he had determined what would happen after him: the stylistic legacy would pass to his niece Silvana Armani and Leo Dell'Orco. Everything had been put in place through his Foundation."Why should I stop or not care? I am my work," he replied last year in Paris.