Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani passes away at 91, PM Giorgia Meloni pays tribute

WASHINGTON, MILAN: Iconic fashion designer Giorgio Armani passed away at the age of 91, the Armani Group announced on Thursday, according to CNN. The Italian fashion designer was known for curating a quintessentially Italian aesthetic in his clothes, as well as taking Hollywood’s red carpets to new heights.

“Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones”, the Armani Group said in a statement, describing the founder as “a tireless driving force”, as quoted by CNN.

Milan, 4 September 2025 – With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani.

Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away… pic.twitter.com/7lMIdpw5oX

— Armani (@armani) September 4, 2025

“In this company, we have always felt like part of a family”, read a statement provided by the brand on behalf of his family and employees. “Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication. But it is precisely in his spirit that we, the employees and the family members who have always worked alongside Mr. Armani, commit to protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory, with respect, responsibility, and love”.

After learning about the demise of Giorgio Armani, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni took to social media and paid her condolences. “Giorgio Armani leaves us at the age of 91. With his elegance, sobriety, and creativity, he managed to bring prestige to Italian fashion and inspire the entire world. An icon, a tireless worker, a symbol of the best Italy has to offer. Thank you for everything”, a post read on PM Meloni’s Instagram handle.

“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder and tireless driving force,” said the fashion house in a statement, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

He passed away “peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” the company added. “Tireless, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, its collections, and the diverse and ever-evolving projects both existing and in progress.”

Born in Piacenza, Italy, on July 11, 1934, the lifelong cinephile enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with Hollywood. Known among fashion cognoscenti for his innovations to men’s tailoring beginning in the 1970s, he became a global sensation practically overnight after designing Richard Gere’s wardrobe in 1980’s ‘American Gigolo’.

In the decades since, costume designers have turned to Armani to create some of the most swaggering looks in film, from Leonardo DiCaprio’s duds in ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, Kevin Costner’s 1930s trench in ‘The Untouchables’, Christian Bale’s power suits as both ‘Patrick Bateman’ and ‘Bruce Wayne’, Brad Pitt’s white tux in ‘Inglourious Basterds’, Jessica Chastain’s camel hair coat in ‘A Most Violent Year’, and the fang-like shirt collars in ‘Goodfellas’.

A public funeral chamber for Giorgio Armani will be held at the Armani/Teatro (Via Bergognone 59) in Milan on Saturday, September 6, and Sunday, September 7, 2025, from 9 am to 6 pm each day.

In June 2025, Armani was not present to take his usual bow at the brand’s show during Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week, marking the first time in his career he had missed his own runway event. At that time, the company released a statement that he was “currently recovering at home” without specifying his health condition, reported CNN. (ANI)