A pioneer of international fashion for nearly half a century, Giorgio Armani was sometimes mentioned in the same breath as Coco Chanel. The Italian fashion designer has now died at the age of 91 in Milan, the Armani fashion house announced on social media on Thursday. He was surrounded by his loved ones.

Fashion revolutionary

Giorgio Armani had a number of successes over his long lifetime — he even invented his own color, "greige," a combination of gray and beige that became his trademark. To him, it constituted an homage to his hometown Milan, which he always described as a gray city.

Armani never ceased to come up with innovative ideas.

It all started in the 1970s when the designer made suits — for both men and women — less stiff and conservative-looking. He essentially deconstructed them by removing the liner, rearranging the buttons and softening the shoulders.

Armani's attempts at revolutionizing fashion for men and women were not limited to suits. When he presented his first women's collection at fashion shows in 1975, his androgynous approach was well-suited to the spirit of the women's movement of the era. He feminized the most masculine of all clothing items with soft, expressive lines.

A reclusive figure

Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in the provincial Italian town of Piacenza, not far from Milan. His father, who worked as a bookkeeper in a transport company, was sent to jail in the post-war era for his close ties to the former fascist regime of Benito Mussolini. His influence may have played a role in why Armani's style was often seen as a reaction to conformity.

Despite his wealth, Armani did not overtly flaunt it. The billionaire lived on two sparsely furnished penthouse floors on the backside of a palazzo in Milan. He led a rather reclusive life, appearing only rarely in the fashion scene.

His trademark outfit was a blue cashmere sweater and simple flannel trousers.

"The essence of my style is to express something complicated in a simple way," he once described his personal credo.

Even though Armani avoided public appearances, he remained the creative head of his company for decades, as well as its sole manager.

With a reputation for minimalism and perfectionism, the designer took over the managing role in 1985 following the death of Sergio Galeotti, who had been both his life- and business partner. Armani had met the architect in Milan in 1966. It was Galeotti who encouraged Armani to open his first office in Milan and to start his fashion house in 1975.

Fashion for Hollywood

Armani enjoyed cult status in his home country, where he designed police uniforms and also dressed the cab drivers of Milan.

During the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Italian team wore Armani. The designer had strong connections to sports — he even owned a basketball team in Milan.

From the 1980s onwards, Armani, a movie enthusiast, showed much interest in Hollywood. He revered Italian director Luchino Visconti just as much as Alfred Hitchcock. He loved German actress Marlene Dietrich and US actor Cary Grant. Early on, he understood just how much publicity Hollywood could bring for him and invested in making a name for himself there. In 1980, he created the costumes for the movie "American Gigolo," starring Richard Gere.

Expansion of the empire

In 1981, he founded his second brand, "Emporio Armani," which targeted younger fashionistas. But the brand name is not only associated with fashion — it also includes hotels around the world, perfumes, sunglasses, coffee, chocolate, jam, furniture, carpets and much more. Armani has even designed cars.

Giorgio Armani was perhaps Italy's most successful designer and was among the 10 richest people in the country. Forbes estimated his fortune in 2024 at more than €10.4 billion ($12.1 billion).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit Italy especially hard, Armani donated around €2 million to hospitals in Milan, Rome and Bergamo, among other places. He also reorganized production in his factories to deliver urgently needed protective clothing for doctors and nurses.

The finale of the Emporio Armani brand's anniversary show in Milan in September 2021 also featured his niece Silvana Armani and his men's designer Pantaleo Dell'Orco. This was interpreted as an indication of who might take up the business after the then-87-year-old's passing. 

Working till the end

Armani had been ill for some time. In June, he had to cancel his participation in his group's shows at Milan Men's Fashion Week. It was the first time in his career that he had missed one of his fashion shows. However,the designer did not want to retire completely and continued to work until the very end, according to a statement from the fashion house. Today, the Armani Group has around 8,700 employees worldwide, more than 2,000 stores, often in prime locations, and a dozen factories.

Now, it is up to his successors to continue to build the legacy of the iconic Italian fashion brand. Armani had been planning to celebrate his company's upcoming 50th anniversary. Instead, Dell'Orco will be taking the final bow in his place. 

Edited by: Elizabeth Grenier