Milan, 4 September 2025: with deep sorrow, the world of fashion and of Italian culture mourns the passing of Giorgio Armani, founder of the maison that bears his name and a central figure of Made in Italy. The designer died peacefully at the age of 91, surrounded by his closest loved ones, after working tirelessly until the final days of his life.
To everyone he was “Il Signor Armani”, a form of address spoken with respect and admiration by his collaborators and employees. A man who was able to turn his name into a universal symbol of elegance and restraint, building an empire that shaped half a century of fashion history.
Born in Piacenza on 11 July 1934, Giorgio Armani moved to Milan with his family after the war. After attending the Liceo Leonardo Da Vinci and beginning studies in medicine, he left university to take a new path. First at la Rinascente, as an assistant to the window dressers and then in the buying department, he began to stand out for his talent and determination.
The turning point came in 1964, when Nino Cerruti entrusted him with the creation of a line for the Hitman label. It was the springboard for a career that in the 1970s led him to work with the great names of Made in Italy. In 1975, together with Sergio Galeotti, his business partner and companion, he founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A..
From there came an overwhelming rise: in 1976 the first menswear collection at Palazzo Pitti, in 1982 the cover of Time devoted to his famous “Gorgeous Style”. Armani thus became “Re Giorgio”, the embodiment of a timeless style that won over both Italy and the rest of the world.
Beyond fashion, Armani always cultivated a great passion for sport. He designed the kit for football clubs, for national teams and for the Italian athletes competing at the Olympic Games, a commitment that will continue at Milano Cortina 2026 as well. Since 2008 he had been the owner of Olimpia Milano, the city’s historic basketball team, helping to bring it back among the best in Europe.
In its official statement, the Armani Group underlined how the designer had always made independence of thought and action his distinguishing trait. His vision, able to go beyond fashion to embrace every aspect of living, created an open dialogue with the public and made Armani a figure loved and respected all over the world.
The company, which is celebrating fifty years of history, will continue along the path traced by its founder, in the name of the consistency and the continuity of the values he himself embodied.
The lying in state will take place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September, from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm, at the Armani/Teatro in via Bergognone 59 in Milan. In accordance with Armani’s own wishes, the funeral will be held privately.
