As of today, Giorgio Armani has been pronounced dead at the age of 91, closing the final chapter of a life that rewrote the meaning of elegance.
Armani passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, leaving behind a brand that by the time of his death generated an estimated €2.3 billion annually (around $2.7 billion).
His departure following a period of declining health—underlined by his absence from Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week in June, the first time in his career he ever missed one of his own shows—felt both inevitable and deeply emotional, as if the runway had dimmed alongside him.
The company announced that a funeral chamber will be open this weekend in Milan—Armani’s beloved home—and that a private funeral will follow at an undisclosed date. It is fitting that his final farewell would take place in the city where he staged so many of his fashion triumphs.
Born in northern Italy, Armani began far from the catwalk—studying medicine, serving in the army, then dressing store windows—before transforming himself into fashion’s most enduring minimalist.
In 1975, with little more than vision and resolve, he launched a brand that grew into a global empire, clothing Hollywood stars, CEOs, and everyday dreamers alike.
Armani’s gift was restraint. He softened suits, liberated women from excess, and proved that power could whisper rather than shout. His designs(cloths, jewelry and perfumes) made silence stylish and understatement eternal.
Milan will host his final farewell, but his influence will never leave the runway. Armani himself once said,
“Elegance is not about being noticed, it’s about being remembered.”
Now, remembered he will be—forever.