Entertainment

Italian Fashion Designer Giorgio Armani Dies at 91

Published SEP 4 2025

Story

Above: Giorgio Armani during the Women's Haute-Couture Spring/Summer 2025 Fashion Week in Paris on Jan. 28, 2025. Image credit: Julien De Rosa/AFP/Getty Images

The Facts

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani died at age 91 at his home in Milan on Thursday. The Armani Group announced his passing in an official statement, describing him as the company's creator, founder, and tireless driving force.
Grazia
The National News
Instagram
Armani founded his eponymous fashion house in Milan in 1975, at the age of 40, and built it into a global empire worth over $10 billion, with annual revenues of approximately $2.7 billion and employing around 8,000 people worldwide.
Vogue
The Hollywood Reporter
Daily Mail
Born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy, Armani initially studied medicine at the University of Milan, but left after three years to join the army. He later began his fashion career as a window dresser at La Rinascente department store in 1957.
The Mirror
The Hollywood Reporter
The Times (UK)
Armani became globally recognized after designing Richard Gere's wardrobe for the 1980 film American Gigolo and went on to create costumes for numerous Hollywood productions, including The Wolf of Wall Street, The Untouchables and Inglourious Basterds.
The Mirror
The Hollywood Reporter
The New York Times
The designer was forced to miss his menswear show at Milan Fashion Week in June due to health reasons, marking the first time in his five-decade career that he had not attended one of his own runway presentations.
The Local
The National News
The Telegraph
A funeral chamber will be established at Armani/Teatro headquarters in Milan from Saturday to Sunday, open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The funeral service will be held privately, in accordance with Armani's expressed wishes.
The Local
The National News
BBC News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

The fashion industry has lost its most influential figure, whose innovative designs shaped modern elegance. Armani's death leaves behind an empire of timeless elegance and soft tailoring. His minimalist "power suit" revolutionized both menswear and red-carpet glamor. He worked tirelessly until his final days, his dedication and legacy immortalized in Milan's enduring fashion spirit.

People

Shai Akabas

Narrative B

While his death marks the end of an era for Italian fashion excellence and entrepreneurial brilliance, Armani's passing closes a chapter on the intersection of indulgent luxury and elitist minimalism. His near-total control over his brand reflected perfectionism. His legacy reinforces exclusivity in fashion, underscoring an era dominated by affluent aesthetics, rather than inclusivity — an ironic contradiction to accessible elegance.

Vanity Fair