Fashion Icon Giorgio Armani Dies at the Age of 91

Armani, whose elegant, minimalist clothing defined the Italian look and influenced fashion and Hollywood glamour, built a global brand over more than half a century.

“Il Signor Armani, universally known and loved by his colleagues as a mentor and a friend, Giorgio Armani dies 91 peacefully at his home surrounded by his loved ones,” the Armani Group said in a statement on Thursday. “In life, he was a tireless driving force.”

In a statement issued by the Italian fashion designer Armani family and workers, the brand said “ In this company, we've always felt like a family. moment, we feel his absence with great emotion the bone who erected this family with his vision, passion, and fidelity has left us, and with him a void in our lives that no bone will be suitable to fill. But in the truest Giorgio Armani obituary, we, his employees and his family who have always been by his side, want to assure him that we will take care of him and what he has created by carrying it forward with respect, responsibility, and love.”

The designer had been seen on home turf at the Armani runway show in June, but missed the men’s show in Milan in June, failing to take his bow as was his custom at the end of the show.

Armani was one of the last big independent voices in a luxury world decreasingly controlled by luxury groups similar as LVMH and Kering, and has long claimed on complete independence. The Armani group was valued by Bloomberg Intelligence at 8 billion euros($ 9.3 billion) to 10 billion euros($ 11.7 billion) in 2024.

Giorgio Armani death occurs at a time when the fashion world was preparing to mark his 50th anniversary in business. Armani legacy was to be celebrated by a number of special activities this month at Milan Fashion Week, including the opening of a show at the Pinacoteca of Brera( it was the first time the iconic gallery has been used for a fashion exhibit) as well as a special show at the Palazzo Brera.