Late evening on the 4th of September 2025, the fashion world lost one of its pioneers. Aged 91, famed fashion designer Giorgio Armani took his last breath at his home in Milan. The news was shared on the social media pages of his eponymous brand, Armani. The post said, “With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani.
Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones. Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.”
The caption continued, musing over how Giorgio Armani had been a formidable presence in the fashion world. “Over the years, Giorgio Armani has crafted a vision that expanded from fashion to every aspect of life, anticipating the times with extraordinary clarity and pragmatism. He has been driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present and to people. Along this journey, he established an open dialogue with the public, becoming a beloved and respected figure for his ability to connect with everyone. Always mindful of the needs of the community, he has been active on many fronts, especially in support of his beloved Milan.
Giorgio Armani is a company with fifty years of history, built with emotion and patience. Giorgio Armani always made independence – of thought and action – his hallmark. The company is, now and always, a reflection of this spirit. His family and employees will carry the Group forward in respect and continuity of these values.”
As shared by the post, his funeral chamber will be set up from Saturday, September 6th to Sunday, September 7th, and will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., in Milan, at Via Bergognone 59, inside the Armani/Teatro. It also mentioned that in accordance with Armani’s explicit wishes, the funeral will be held privately.
Giorgio Armani’s journey to the top
Giorgio Armani, who was born in Piacenza, Italy in 1934, first pursued a medical degree before changing careers. He began working as a window dresser at the Milan department store La Rinascente in 1957 before going on to create menswear for Nino Cerruti. He was honing his skills with hands-on learning at the store, with what fabrics the customers liked, what textile mills to buy them from, how the cloth was constructed, and so on.
Soon, Armani was hired by Nino Cerruti, then an influential haute couture designer. Within months of joining, Cerruti asked him to restructure the company's approach. This would go on to contribute significantly in making Milan the fashion capital of the world. What Armani did here was redefine power dressing for the masses. Post-war, the up-and-coming middle classes yearned for a stylish look but of course couldn’t afford the haute couture.
With his expertise and experience, Armani came up with a menswear range with neat, precise cuts. The fact that it could be manufactured at scale ensured it was accessible. Its distinctively Italian style quickly took over, and subtly began to influence the way the fashion-conscious folks dressed.
Thereafter, he and his partner Sergio Galeotti founded Giorgio Armani in 1975, and it would go on to become one of the most significant fashion conglomerates in the world. From their iconic perfume ranges to Armani Prive’s unmatched luxury to the pret collections that brought the chic Italian sensibilities to our daily wardrobes, to home interiors, restaurants, and even hotels, Armani has had an entire luxury universe under their name.
Bringing in softer, cleaner styles
Giorgio Armani's unstructured suits and jackets, which eliminated stiff padding and gave clothing a softer, more organic silhouette, revolutionised both men's and women's fashion. His androgynous style, neutral colour schemes, and clean lines contributed to the late 20th-century definition of modern elegance, which we’ve all been inspired by, every now and then.
His big moment came when Hollywood actor Richard Gere donned Armani suits in American Gigolo in 1980. The recognition helped launch his brand into Hollywood, where it became linked with understated glamour. Post this, Giorgio Armani solidified his position as a pioneer of celebrity fashion by dressing celebs like Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, and Michelle Pfeiffer for coveted red carpets.
Armani’s standalone empire
In the fashion world, it is quite common for big brands to acquire the upcoming labels and branch out subsequently, LVMH, for example. Armani was against this way of business. Instead, he built the company into the vast global business it is today, with no external investments. This helped him retain control of its finances and creativity, which is quite rare.
After the death of his long-time personal and business partner Sergio Galeotti in 1985, Armani, a deeply private man, briefly considered retirement but chose instead to honour Galeotti’s hopes by persevering. The outcome was a huge worldwide company that made him a multibillionaire and solidified his reputation as one of the most influential and unyielding people in fashion.
In 2000, the Guggenheim Museum in New York hosted an exhibition of his work, recognising Armani's powerful influence on social change in the previous century. In the new millennium, there’s so much he did. Stopped using models with low body mass indexes when one of them, Ana Carolina Reston, died of anorexia; did the interiors of Burj Khalifa, made the uniforms for Italy's Olympic team in 2012, and even in March 2025, in his last show, put out a brand new range of designs. Notoriously disciplined is how the New York Magazine described him, and in his own words, Armani agreed, once telling a reporter, "I'm never satisfied.”