In Memoriam: Italian Fashion Designer "Giorgio Armani" Dies At 91

The Italian fashion designer and billionaire brand owner Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91. 

 

He was the archetype of Italian style and elegance, reimagining men's and women's suits for a modern audience.

The Italian billionaire died at home surrounded by his family on Thursday.

With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani," his fashion house said: "Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. 

"Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects." A funeral chamber will be set up at Milan's Armani Teatro for people to pay tribute between 9am and 6pm this weekend.

His company Armani expanded from fashion into an empire spanning beauty, fragrance, music, sport and even luxury hotels, bringing in more than £2bn a year.

The designer was seen as a pioneer in many ways, elevating red carpet fashion to what we see today. He was also the first designer to ban underweight models from the runway, after the death of model Ana Carolina Reston in 2006 from anorexia nervosa. Armani was described as a "true gentleman" and "titan of the industry" by Vogue's Laura Ingham, who paid tribute to the late designer. She added: "If you don't know anything about fashion, you'll still know Giorgio Armani. Mr Armani built a house synonymous with timeless Italian elegance and enduring style.”

Referencing his classic style, which included "refined silhouettes" and "immaculate tailoring", she concluded that "his legacy is woven not only into fashions past and present but will continue to shape its future for generations to come".

Armani did not appear at his runway shows in Milan for the first time ever in June as he recovered from an unknown illness. Only a week ago, when he was interviewed by the Financial Times, he revealed he "oversaw every aspect of the show remotely via video link". "My greatest weakness is that I am in control of everything," he told the newspaper. "Everything you will see has been done under my direction and carries my approval. 

Born in the small northern Italian town of  Piacenza in July 1934, Armani originally wanted to be a doctor but changed his mind after a part-time job as a window dresser at a Milan store exposed him to fashion for the first time. As one of the most influential designers of the 20th century, he is often credited with spearheading red carpet fashion and was planning a major event during Milan Fashion Week this month to mark 50 years of his brand.

Starting his career in medicine, he moved to fashion in the 1960s and set up his own luxury label in 1975 alongside his late partner Sergio Galeotti. He put Italian ready-to-wear style on the map in the late 1970s with his signature 'Armani suit' before adapting its classic style for women with the launch of the female 'power suit' in the 1980s.

King Giorgio as he was widely known, worked on more than 200 films, most notably earlier in his career on American Gigolo with Richard Gere in 1980. He was awarded both the French Legion of Honour and Italian Order of Merit for Labour for his contributions to the fashion industry.

With an empire of more than £7.44bn at the time of his death, his work expanded beyond clothes to home furnishings, perfumes, books, flowers, bars, clubs, and restaurants. He also owned the basketball team EA7 Armani Milan, better known as Olympia Milano.

Away from fashion, he was a keen sports fan and supported Serie A football team Inter Milan and owned the Olimpia Milano basketball team. The fashion brand also had a partnership with the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team, with one of their drivers, Charles Leclerc writing on Instagram that it was "a great honour to have had the chance to meet and work with such an amazing person".