Italian fashion designer and billionaire Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91. Celebrated for redefining Italian elegance, Armani transformed both men’s and women’s suits for modern audiences and built a global fashion empire spanning clothing, beauty, fragrance, music, sports, and luxury hotels, generating over £2 billion annually.
In a statement on Instagram, the Armani brand said the designer "worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing future projects," describing him as "indefatigable to the end" and "driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present and to people."
A pioneer in the fashion industry, Armani elevated red carpet style and championed model welfare, famously banning underweight models from runways following the death of Ana Carolina Reston in 2006.
In one of his final interviews, The Financial Times’ Alexander Fury highlighted Armani’s transformative influence: "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."
Armani also became a Hollywood favorite, dressing stars like Zendaya, Cate Blanchett, and Julia Roberts for the Oscars, designing stage outfits for Lady Gaga, and creating costumes for films including American Gigolo and The Wolf of Wall Street. Even in his 90s, he continued presenting new collections, with his March 2025 show reflecting his vision of global harmony.
Vogue’s Laura Ingham described Armani as a "true gentleman" and a "titan of the industry," saying, "If you don't know anything about fashion, you'll still know Giorgio Armani. Mr. Armani built a house synonymous with timeless Italian elegance and enduring style." She added, "His legacy is woven not only into fashions past and present but will continue to shape its future for generations to come."