Giorgio Armani, the prolific Italian designer and founder of the eponymous luxury brand, revered for revolutionizing modern fashion with his sleek, unstructured power suits, died on Sept. 4 at the age of 91.
Armani died peacefully while surrounded by loved ones, the fashion house revealed in a social media post on Thursday.
“With infinite condolences, the Armani group announces the passing of its inventor, founder and tireless engine: Giorgio Armani,” the statement reads.
“Tireless, he has worked until the last days, dedicating himself to the company, to the collections, to the different and always new projects in being and to becoming.”
Born in July 1934 in Piacenza, a city in northern Italy, Armani initially aspired to become a doctor. However, after leaving medical school and following a brief stint in the military, he was hired as a window dresser at a department store in Milan in 1957.
Nearly two decades later, in 1975, Armani founded his now multi-billion-dollar fashion empire with friend and business partner Sergio Galeotti.
The label of ready-to-wear for men and women gained prominence with the release of the 1980 crime thriller “American Gigolo,” in which Richard Gere portrayed the Armani-wearing character Julian Kaye.
“Over the years, Giorgio Armani has created a vision that has expanded from fashion to every aspect of life, anticipating the times with extraordinary clarity and precision,” the Armani Group said in the statement.
“He was driven by an inexorable curiosity, attention for the present and people. In this journey he created an open dialogue with the public, becoming a beloved and respected figure for his ability to communicate with everyone. Always attentive to the needs of the community, he has committed himself on many fronts, above all to his beloved Milan.”
Armani expanded his luxury brand—valued at more than $12 billion, according to Forbes—to include home furnishings, cosmetics, and fragrances, among other offerings. He also opened more than a dozen restaurants, bars, and clubs, even launching his own basketball team, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, better known as Olimpia Milano.
The designer received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 1987. He was also named Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit by the president of the Italian Republic in 2021.
“Giorgio Armani is a company with fifty years of history, grown with emotion and patience. Giorgio Armani has always made independence, thought and action, his hallmark. The company is a reflection, today and always, of this feeling,” the fashion house shared.
“The family and employees will carry the Group forward in respect and continuity of these values.”
