Giorgio Armani, the billionaire designer who built one of the world’s most prestigious fashion labels and helped make “Made in Italy” synonymous with quality, has died at the age of 91.
He passed away on Thursday at his home, his company confirmed in a statement: “Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.”
Giorgio Armani had missed the June runway shows while recovering from an undisclosed illness.
A former medical student, he launched his namesake brand in 1975, eventually turning it into a global empire. From his iconic unstructured jacket to jeans, shirts, sunglasses, and shoes, Milan-based Giorgio Armani SpA became a cultural phenomenon and a symbol of timeless elegance.
Fiercely protective of his independence, Giorgio Armani resisted decades of merger and acquisition attempts that reshaped the luxury industry. Despite repeated pitches from Milan bankers and investment groups, he kept firm control of his company, ensuring it remained in his hands alone.
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‘Gorgeous Style’
Giorgio Armani appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1982 under the headline “Giorgio’s Gorgeous Style.” Over the decades, Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, and Beyoncé frequently graced the Academy Awards red carpet in his creations.
“I believe that my clothes can give people a better image of themselves — that it can increase their feelings of confidence and happiness,” Armani told CNN in 2006.
Through brands such as Armani Exchange and Emporio Armani, his company reported revenues of €2.3 billion ($2.7 billion) in 2024. With a personal fortune of about $9.5 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Armani was among Italy’s wealthiest individuals.
One of my favorite fun facts about Giorgio Armani is that he didn’t start his brand until he was 40.
— Jake Woolf (@jakewoolf) September 4, 2025
So all of you 34 year olds out there having an existential crisis about where your life’s at, just know you can say fuck it and follow your dreams whenever you want
RIP 🐐 pic.twitter.com/cf0vK1cOJS
He founded the company in 1975 with partner Sergio Galeotti, who died in 1985 at just 40 after a battle with leukemia. Together, they revolutionized menswear by championing softer, more relaxed tailoring over the rigid, boxy suits of the era. That aesthetic also resonated with professional women of the 1980s, who embraced Armani’s sleek, modern style.
Armani’s international fame soared after Richard Gere donned his sleek suits in American Gigolo (1980), cementing the designer’s image as a symbol of elegance and sensuality. He went on to nurture a long relationship with Hollywood, creating costumes for more than 100 films, including The Untouchables (1987), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), and The Dark Knight (2008).
“I fell in love with the idealized beauty of Hollywood stars,” Armani told Harper’s Bazaar in 2009.
Even in his late 80s, Armani remained deeply involved in the business and continued as its sole independent shareholder. In 2016, at age 82, he established the Giorgio Armani Foundation to “safeguard the governance of assets of the Armani Group” — a move widely seen as preparation for the company’s future beyond his lifetime.
Approaching his 90th birthday in 2024, Armani reaffirmed his commitment to independence from large conglomerates but acknowledged that one day the firm might merge with a larger rival or go public. With no children of his own, he often said he intended to leave the company in the hands of trusted confidantes and relatives who already held board positions, envisioning an extended family of advisers to guide the brand forward.
Mother’s Influence
Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in the northern Italian city of Piacenza, to Maria Raimondi and Ugo Armani. He grew up in modest circumstances with his brother, Sergio, and sister, Rosanna.
“My mother was the main reason I developed an interest in fashion,” he recalled in a 2006 interview with designer Stella McCartney for The Independent. “She always ensured that my brother, sister, and I were immaculately dressed.”
After a brief stint in medical school and military service, Armani began his career in fashion as a merchandiser at Milan’s La Rinascente department store. He later became a designer for Nino Cerruti before striking out on his own as a freelancer.
On July 24, 1975, Armani and his partner, Sergio Galeotti, launched their first men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections with just $10,000 in startup capital, according to Harper’s Bazaar. Over the following decades, Armani steadily expanded his empire beyond high fashion, introducing Emporio Armani, jeans, bags, watches, eyewear, and perfumes. Among them, Acqua di Giò became one of the world’s best-selling men’s fragrances, produced under license by L’Oréal SA.
Armani also ventured into sportswear, designing uniforms for Italy’s national soccer team — including the jackets worn when the squad triumphed at the European Championship in 2021.
Branded Hotels
Armani’s ambitions stretched well beyond clothing and accessories. He introduced home furnishings and opened Armani-branded hotels, including one inside the world’s tallest skyscraper in Dubai and another in Milan.
His contributions to fashion and culture earned him numerous honors. He received a lifetime achievement award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the Leonardo Award from Italian President Giorgio Napolitano in 2006, and the Legion of Honor from French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008. In 2000, his work was celebrated with a landmark exhibition at New York’s Guggenheim Museum, and in 2019 the British Fashion Council recognized him with an outstanding achievement award.
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Despite his success, Armani often admitted to personal sacrifices. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, he confessed that he had no one with whom to share his achievements and regretted missing out on the pleasures of a lighter, more social life due to his work commitments. Though he was sometimes spotted late at night at his Nobu bar in Milan, he acknowledged having very few close friends.
“But having got to where I am now,” he said, “I cannot allow myself.”
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