Giorgio Armani, Fashion’s Eternal Minimalist, Dies at 91

On September 4, 2025, Giorgio Armani passed away at his Milan home at 91, closing the curtain on one of fashion’s most enduring eras. The Armani Group called him “Il Signor Armani” to the very end — a founder, a perfectionist, a man who kept working even when the world was whispering about his health. His absence from Milan Fashion Week back in June already had the industry holding its breath. Now, that pause has turned into silence.

How a Window Dresser Built an Empire

Born in Piacenza, Armani once studied medicine before ditching scalpels for suits. By the mid-70s, with partner Sergio Galeotti, he launched a label that flipped tailoring on its head. Out went stiff shoulders, in came fluid lines, neutral palettes, and a vibe that was both power and poetry. His soft suits became a cultural reset, redefining Hollywood, boardrooms, and even red carpets. Think Richard Gere in American Gigolo or Julia Roberts in a sharp-shouldered Armani suit — moments where cool wasn’t loud, it was whispered.

A Business Titan with Boundaries

Unlike most mega labels, Armani never sold out to LVMH or Kering. He kept it indie at a billion-dollar scale, stretching his name across couture, fragrance, hotels, furniture, even basketball. But he wasn’t just about expansion. After model Ana Carolina Reston’s death in 2006, he banned models with dangerously low BMIs. It wasn’t performative, it was policy.

The World Says Goodbye

Tributes flooded in like a runway after-party. Donatella Versace called him a “giant.” Ralph Lauren admired his humility. Julia Roberts mourned “a true friend. A legend.” Even football clubs like Juventus and Napoli paused to honor the man who dressed their players in peak Italian style. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni crowned him “ambassador of Made in Italy,” while designer peers bowed their heads to a life carved in precision.

The Man Behind the Myth

Armani stayed famously private, never marrying, carrying the ghost of Galeotti with him long after the AIDS crisis stole his partner in 1985. He admitted regret for spending more time with sketches than with friends, but he never stopped creating. His succession plan leaves the Armani Group in family hands, with his nieces and longtime collaborators continuing the vision.

Forever Giorgio

Armani once said he wanted to be remembered for “hard work, respect, and attention to reality.” What he leaves is something more: a way of dressing that made minimalism feel like immortality. Fifty years after launching his brand, his quiet luxury still roars across fashion. And now, as Milan prepares to celebrate his legacy with exhibitions, the world bows to the last great king of elegance.