Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 91, the Armani Group announced on Thursday.
The designer is credited over his decades of practice with curating a quintessentially Italian aesthetic in his clothes, as well as taking Hollywood’s red carpets to new heights.
“Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” the Armani Group said in a statement, describing the founder as “a tireless driving force.”
“In this company, we have always felt like part of a family,” read a statement provided by the brand on behalf of its family and employees. The void left by the person who started and raised this family with vision, passion, and dedication is felt today with great emotion. However, it is in his spirit that we, the staff and family members who have always worked with Mr. Armani, pledge to preserve what he created and to continue his business in his honor, with love, respect, and responsibility.
Armani missed his own runway event for the first time in his career in June 2025 when he failed to make his customary bow at the brand’s show during Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week. Without mentioning his health condition, the company stated at the time that he was “currently recovering at home.”
In the current luxury landscape, dominated by conglomerates such as LVMH, the owner of Louis Vuitton, and Kering, the parent company of Gucci, Armani was one of the few designers to remain the sole shareholder of his company. As of yet, there is no obvious heir to the Armani business, which in 2024 was valued by analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence between 8 and 10 billion euros ($9.3 billion to $11.7 billion).
A string of celebrations for Armani’s 50th year in business has been planned to take place during Milan Fashion Week this month, including the unveiling of an exhibition at the Pinacoteca di Brera, the first at the museum to be dedicated to fashion, and a runway show at Palazzo Brera.
