Reuters
Giorgio Armani poses with models before presenting his Spring Summer 2025 collection in New York City, U.S. [Source: Reuters]
Designer Giorgio Armani, who helped to put Italy at the forefront of global fashion and dressed Hollywood stars, has died at the age of 91, the company that he founded and led for five decades said on Thursday.
Armani combined the flair of a designer with business acumen as he directed a company generating some 2.3 billion euros ($2.7 billion) in annual turnover.
The designer 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, the first time he had missed one of his catwalk events.
Actress Julia Roberts, who famously wore an Armani men’s suit for the 1990 Golden Globes, posted a picture of herself with the designer on Instagram with a broken heart emoji. “A true friend. A legend,” she wrote.
Armani remained the sole owner of his company and worked with a tight-knit group of long-time colleagues and members of his family.
A funeral chamber will be opened on Saturday and Sunday in Milan, the city he made his home, to allow well-wishers to pay their respects. His funeral will be held on Monday in private.
Known as “Re Giorgio” – King Giorgio in his native Italian – the designer famously oversaw every detail of his collection and all aspects of his business, from advertising to fixing models’ hair as they headed out on to the runway.
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