Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian designer whose understated elegance reshaped global fashion and red carpet glamour, died peacefully at home on Thursday, September 4, 2025, at the age of 91. The Armani Group confirmed his passing, noting that he was surrounded by loved ones and remained “a tireless driving force” until the end. His death marks the close of an era—a period in which Armani’s vision not only defined Italian style but also built a multibillion-dollar empire that touched nearly every corner of the lifestyle world.
Armani’s absence from Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 was his first in decades, as he recovered from an undisclosed condition. Even so, he was actively planning a milestone celebration for his company’s 50th anniversary during the September shows, including an exhibition at the Pinacoteca di Brera—the first ever dedicated to fashion at the famed museum—and a runway spectacle at Palazzo Brera. The world’s fashion elite and devoted fans alike had been anticipating these festivities, a testament to the enduring power of his name and vision.
Born in 1934 in Piacenza, a small town south of Milan, Armani’s path to fashion wasn’t direct. He first studied medicine and served in the military before taking a job as a window dresser at Milan’s historic La Rinascente department store. This early encounter with visual storytelling opened his eyes to the world of style. By 1964, designer Nino Cerruti had hired Armani as a menswear designer, introducing him to the concept of unstructured jackets—suits stripped of traditional linings and padding, designed to move with the body. As reported by CNN, this innovation would become a hallmark of Armani’s later work.
It was during his time at Cerruti that Armani met Sergio Galeotti, the architect who would become both his life and business partner. Galeotti convinced Armani to launch his own label, and in 1975, the two sold their Volkswagen for $10,000 to fund the first Giorgio Armani menswear collection. Womenswear followed a year later, bringing with it a revolutionary androgynous look. “I was the first to soften the image of men, and harden the image of women,” Armani once said, reflecting on his early approach to design. According to the Associated Press, the liningless sports jacket—launched in the late 1970s—became an instant sensation from Hollywood to Wall Street.
Armani’s ascent to global fame accelerated in 1980, when Richard Gere donned his sleek suits in the film “American Gigolo.” The collaboration not only made Gere a style icon but positioned Armani as the go-to designer for the Hollywood elite. The brand’s signature relaxed silhouette—soft fabrics, muted tones, and precise tailoring—became synonymous with effortless sophistication. Armani’s influence soon dominated red carpets, with stars like Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, George Clooney, Sophia Loren, and Brad Pitt all counted among his devotees. Roberts, who famously wore an oversized Armani suit to the 1990 Golden Globes, remembered him as “A true friend. A Legend.”
Armani’s impact extended far beyond clothing. By the time of his death, he had built an empire worth over $10 billion, as reported by Forbes and Bloomberg Intelligence. The Armani Group’s reach included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers, chocolates, and even a basketball team—Olympia Milano, which he acquired in 2008. Since 1998, he opened more than 20 restaurants around the world, as well as two luxury hotels: one in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2009 and another in Milan in 2010. The brand’s flagship complex in Milan, opened in 2011, spans an entire city block, housing everything from a nightclub to a luxury hotel.
Despite the rise of fashion conglomerates like LVMH and Kering, Armani remained one of the few designers to retain sole ownership of his company. He never sold a single share to outsiders, and his business acumen was as legendary as his creative vision. “There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothes and accessories that are not practical,” he often said, underscoring his belief in designing for real people. Armani’s minimalist personal style—trademark dark trousers, T-shirt, and silver hair—became as iconic as his collections. His homes, whether in Milan, Pantelleria, or St. Tropez, reflected the same philosophy: bare walls, essential pieces, and a focus on quality over excess.
His designs revolutionized both menswear and womenswear. The Armani suit became a must-have for the well-heeled man, while the “power suit” for women—shoulder-padded jackets and tailored trousers—became a symbol of the rising class of businesswomen in the 1980s. Over time, he softened these looks with luxurious fabrics and subtle detailing, but the core of his aesthetic remained unchanged: timeless, precise, and quietly bold. The Guggenheim’s 2000 retrospective and the opening of Armani Silos, his own museum in Milan, cemented his place in fashion history.
Tragedy touched Armani’s life with the death of Sergio Galeotti in 1985 from AIDS, leaving Armani as the sole shareholder and creative head. He never married or had children, but was deeply close to his niece Roberta, who became his director of public relations and a crucial link to the celebrity world. Armani’s sister Rosanna, a former model, and her son Andrea Camerana, along with nieces Silvana and Roberta, survive him. As succession plans, Armani established a foundation to preserve his company’s unity, and indicated that creative direction would pass to longtime collaborator Leo Dell’Orco and niece Silvana Armani.
His legacy also includes a commitment to philanthropy. Named a U.N. goodwill ambassador for refugees in 2002, Armani supported countless charities, particularly those focused on children and the fight against AIDS. The Armani Group, with over 9,000 employees worldwide and more than 600 stores, has long been described as a family—“In this company, we have always felt like part of a family,” the brand said in a statement following his death.
Political and fashion leaders alike paid tribute to Armani’s influence. Donatella Versace called him “a giant” who “made history and will be remembered forever.” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, often seen in Armani’s business attire, praised his “elegance, sobriety and creativity,” calling him “a symbol of the best Italy.”
As the world mourns Giorgio Armani, his vision endures—in every impeccably cut jacket, every red carpet moment, and every person who finds confidence in his timeless designs. The empire he built stands as a living testament to his belief that true style is, above all, an expression of character.
