Billionaire fashion designer Giorgio Armani dead at 91
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni mourned the iconic fashion designer and said Armani was 'a symbol of the best of Italy'
Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani acknowledged the applause at the conclusion of his Armani Privé presentation during the Women’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Week in Paris on Jan. 28, 2025, marking the brand’s 20th anniversary. (Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the late designer, calling him “a symbol of the best of Italy.”
“With his elegance, restraint, and creativity, he brought prestige to Italian fashion and inspired the world. An icon, a tireless worker, a symbol of Italy at its finest. Thank you for everything,” Meloni wrote on X.
Italian designer Giorgio Armani at Paris Fashion Week 2021
Giorgio Armani walks the runway during the Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2021/2022 show at Paris Fashion Week on July 6, 2021. (Peter White/Getty Images)
According to Reuters, Armani’s annual earnings were estimated at $2.7 billion. The outlet reported that he had been in poor health for some time and even withdrew from his group’s shows during Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week in June—a first for the designer.
“Over the years, Giorgio Armani shaped a vision that extended beyond fashion into every aspect of life, always anticipating the times with remarkable clarity and pragmatism,” the Armani Group shared on Instagram. “Driven by endless curiosity and a deep connection to people, he built a lasting dialogue with the public, becoming a beloved and respected figure for his ability to connect with everyone.”
Armani’s legendary career began in 1975, when he and Sergio Galeotti co-founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A. Just three years later, he dressed Diane Keaton for her Oscar win in Annie Hall (1977), marking the start of his enduring relationship with Hollywood’s biggest stars. In 1980, he famously designed Richard Gere’s wardrobe for American Gigolo, cementing his influence on screen and style.
Since the mid-1970s, Armani’s name has become synonymous with understated luxury.
“The legacy I hope to leave is one of commitment, respect, and genuine care for people and reality. That’s where everything begins,” Armani once said in a statement shared on Instagram.
The Armani Group described its founder’s aesthetic as “a precise vision refined to the smallest detail… a style in the truest sense of the word: a way of being and presenting oneself, encompassing clothing, accessories, gestures, and attitude.”
A funeral chamber will be open to the public in Milan on Saturday and Sunday. However, in accordance with Armani’s wishes, his funeral will be private.