Fashion icon Giorgio Armani has died

The Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani (91) has unfortunately passed away. The king of Italian fashion worked until his death for his passion: making clothes.

Signor Armani has been at the helm of the Armani Group since 1975, which owns the brands Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, and A/X Armani Exchange. He peaked in the 1980s with flowing silhouettes, but to be fair: he has always remained an inspiration for new generations of designers.

How did Giorgio Armani start?

At the age of forty-one, Armani founded his own fashion house. He had previously studied medicine, but soon turned to the fashion world. Like many designers before him, he started small. He worked at the department store La Rinascente in Milan in merchandising. This was the start of his career in fashion. At the brand Nino Cerruti, he really blossomed in menswear. After a few years of freelancing, he met Sergio Galeotti in the 1960s, who became his business partner and companion. Together they founded the brand Giorgio Armani SpA.

From Emporio to Armani Privé

In 1986, Emporio Armani was created, a fresher and more accessible version of Armani fashion. A/X Armani Exchange followed in 1991, and in 2005 the iconic Armani Privé was born: the haute couture collection of the brand. This collection has remained highly regarded for many years, up to the present day.

More than fashion

But Armani did more than just create beautiful clothing. He developed fragrances and a home collection. He even opened luxury restaurant chains, cafés, and bars worldwide. Even a hotel in Dubai was not too crazy for him. One of his last purchases was the legendary ‘Capannina di Franceschi’ club in Forte dei Marmi.

Watch a tribute here on TikTok

Giorgio Armani had a golden heart

Besides designing clothes, Giorgio tried to make the world a little better. For example, he helped Afghan refugees in 2000 during the Italian crisis. For this, he was even appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by UNHCR (The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in 2002.

Giorgio Armani was therefore more than a man who knew how to make and sell clothes. He was an inspiration for the fashion industry, then and now.