Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian designer whose name became synonymous with elegance and modern luxury, has died at the age of 91.
Widely regarded as the archetype of Italian style, Armani transformed the fashion world by reimagining suits for both men and women, blending sharp tailoring with understated sophistication. His influence stretched far beyond clothing, with the Armani empire expanding into beauty, sport, music, and even luxury hotels, generating more than £2 billion annually.
In a statement posted on the brand’s official Instagram page, Armani was remembered as someone who “worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing future projects.” The tribute described him as “indefatigable to the end,” driven by curiosity and an “attention to the present and to people.”
Armani was also a pioneer in red-carpet fashion, reshaping Hollywood glamour into what is now the global standard. He was among the first designers to take a public stand on health in the fashion industry, banning underweight models from his runway shows after the 2006 death of Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston from anorexia.
Fashion critics often described Armani as a revolutionary. In one of his last interviews, published in The Financial Times, fashion editor Alexander Fury wrote: “He put women into a uniform of suits just as radical as Chanel’s, creating forceful, confident clothing that helped to power the working woman’s social revolution of the 1980s. By contrast, he relaxed menswear, deconstructing traditional tailoring in a manner that has affected how just about every suit in the world is made.”
From Milan’s ateliers to Hollywood’s red carpets, Armani’s legacy lives on in the confident silhouettes he created and the empire he built, one that redefined the way the world dresses.