Giorgio Armani, designer whose fame transcended high fashion, dies at 91

Giorgio Armani, the iconic Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibil-lion-dollar fashion empire, died on Thursday, his fashion house confirmed. He was 91.

- Associated Press

Armani died at home, “peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” the fashion house said. “Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing and future projects,” the fashion house said in a statement.

Armani, one of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry, missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition.

He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.

A public viewing will be held in the Armani Theater where he unveiled his ready-to-wear collections on Saturday and Sunday.

The funeral will be held privately, and no details were released.

Condolences and remembrances poured in from political leaders and other Milan fashion designers. "The world lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever," said Donatella Versace, whose late brother Gianni Versace was a stylistic rival of Armani in the 1990s. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, who often dressed in Armani's business attire, remembered the designer for his "elegance, sobriety and creativity," and said he was "a symbol of the best Italy." Starting with an unlined jacket, a simple pair of pants and an urban palette, Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late 1970s, creating an instantly recognizable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.