Giorgio Armani, King of Italian Fashion, Dies at 91

Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who took over the world with a vision of elegant ease and then rewrote the rules of the Hollywood red carpet, has passed away at the age of 91 at his home in Milan. The news was confirmed on Thursday, September 4, by the company he built from the ground up and turned into an industry juggernaut. According to a statement, the designer “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.”

“In this company, we have always felt like part of a family,” read a statement from Armani’s employees and family members. “Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication. But it is precisely in his spirit that we, the employees and the family members who have always worked alongside Mr. Armani, commit to protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory, with respect, responsibility, and love.”

Armani had opted out of taking his traditional bows during several recent shows. His absence at the most recent couture week was the first time in the two decades that he had missed an Armani Privé show. Now, the news of his death falls on the eve of the company’s 50th anniversary. As the chairman, chief executive officer, and creative designer of his eponymous brand, Mr. Armani was preparing to celebrate the occasion with a runway show and party later this month.

The designer was apparently “indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.” Once affectionally known as “Numero Uno” in the pages of this magazine, Armani will be remembered for his influence on the modern working wardrobe, his immense presence on every red carpet, as well as his impressive longevity in an industry known for its fleeting attention span. After founding his brand in 1975, Armani has remained one of the most dominant and consistent forces in fashion, thanks to his own leadership. While some chided Armani for his lack of variability and disregard for trends, these traits have contributed to the brand’s immense success. “Timelessness is one of the greatest achievements in fashion, but also one of the hardest,” he told W in February. “In my view, this quality can be achieved only by subtracting, purifying, and focusing on the value of the garment, not on the stories it must tell, because the stories are ultimately told by the people who wear the clothes.”

Born in Piacenza, Italy, in 1934, Armani was just a young boy when World War II broke out. When he was nine, and on a walk in town with his sister, he happened upon some friends who had discovered an unexploded shell. When it caught fire, Armani was engulfed in flames. He spent a month in the hospital and was blinded for a time. "I closed my eyes and didn't open them again for 20 days,” he told Harper’s Bazaar in 2015. “I could smell the linden trees in the hospital gardens in bloom, but I couldn't see them. It was hard for me because they weren't sure if I would ever be able to see again.”

Armani made a miraculous, full recovery and decided to become a doctor. In 1949, he moved to Milan to study medicine. And while Armani has called the city his home since, he didn’t take to the new environment very quickly. “I was frightened,” he said. “Milan seemed so big and chaotic compared to Piacenza, the city where we lived. I hated the noise and the crowds. But I did like going to the cinema with my father at the end of the day, and I loved risotto alla Milanese.”

After three years of studying, Armani had to pause his medical ambitions for compulsory military service. When he finished, he made the decision to leave medicine behind, and he got a job as a window dresser and sales clerk at the Milanese department store, La Rinascente. He would soon work his way up to become a seller in the menswear department. From there, he moved on to Nino Cerruti, where he designed menswear while also freelancing for other manufacturers.

A major turning point occurred in 1966, when Armani met Sergio Galeotti, an architectural draftsman, on a seaside holiday. The two started dating, and in 1975, it was Galeotti who inspired Armani to quit his job and start a business on his own. With money they made from selling their car, the two started Giorgio Armani, the brand. The press immediately took notice of this new talent, as Armani began, first focusing solely on menswear, and introducing womenswear not long after. “The early years were entirely dedicated to building the brand,” Armani said. “At the time, we were too busy in the fashion trenches to think about how long it would last or what milestones we might achieve.”

His major break came in America thanks to the 1980 film American Gigolo starring Richard Gere. Armani dressed Gere’s character in those luxurious, more relaxed suits, and introduced a softer form of “power dressing” to a whole generation. In the first years of the brand, Armani was known for eschewing gender norms, putting men in pieces that draped on their bodies, and, conversely, women in more traditional masculine looks. For example, it was Armani who designed the suit Diane Keaton famously wore when accepting the Oscar for her performance in Annie Hall in 1978.

It was also around then that Armani began exploring avenues other than fashion, signing a contract with L'Oréal to create fragrances and Armani Beauty, and introducing various lines under the Armani umbrella, including Armani Junior, Armani Jeans, and Emporio Armani. He would go on to branch off into home wear, underwear, swimwear, and even chocolate.

Just ten years after founding the brand, Galeotti died of complications from HIV/AIDS. “I cannot and do not want to forget him,” Armani said of his late partner. But the designer was just getting started. The expansion continued, as Armani introduced Armani Exchange, sportswear, watches, eyeglasses, and more to his repertoire. He continued designing costumes for movies and opening boutiques across the world.

In Hollywood, Armani was also known for revolutionizing red carpet dressing. He recognized the promotional power of awards show, and courted celebrities to wear his designs. To help with this endeavor, Armani hired a former society journalist, Wanda McDaniel, in the late ’80s, who managed his relationships with the stars. The plan was so successful that by 1990, so many celebrities were wearing Armani on the Oscars red carpet, Women’s Wear Daily dubbed the event, “The Armani Awards.” The effect was only heightened in 2005, when Armani launched a haute couture line, Armani Privé, which quickly became and remains a favorite of celebrities. Hardly a red carpet takes place without at least one star showing up in a shimmering, embellished Armani dress.

Armani has been widely recognized for his hard work over the years. In 1983, the CFDA named him Best International Designer, and in 1987, they honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in menswear. The Italian government has bestowed upon him the extremely prestigious honorifics Grand Knight of the Republic and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit. In 2000, the Guggenheim put on a retrospective of Armani’s work, the first time they’ve done so for a living designer. Armani is one of the lucky few who really got to see the effect of his life’s work, but there is no doubt the designer’s legacy will live on long past his passing.

Those wanting to pay their respects to Armani will be able to visit the funeral chamber, to be set up inside Armani/Teatro at Via Bergognone 59 in Milan from Saturday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In accordance with Mr. Armani’s explicit wishes, the funeral will be held privately.