Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who reshaped modern red-carpet dressing and built a global fashion empire, has died at 91, the Armani Group announced Thursday. The company said Armani passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family, and described his death as being met with “infinite sorrow.”
News of Armani’s death prompted an outpouring of tributes from fashion figures, celebrities and members of royal families. Among those publicly mourning the designer were Princess Charlene of Monaco and Princess Diana’s nieces, Lady Kitty Spencer and Lady Amelia Spencer, who posted messages of condolence on social media. Fellow designer Donatella Versace reacted with an emoji and the words that the world had “lost a giant.” Actors and public figures, including Ashton Kutcher and racecar driver Charles Leclerc, also posted tributes.
Armani’s career spanned decades and sectors, from haute couture and ready-to-wear to fragrances, home furnishings and cosmetics. Media reports have valued the Armani empire at more than $12.1 billion and said the company generated annual revenue in the billions of dollars. Company statements and press coverage in recent months indicated that Armani had been involved in plans that would place control of the group among a small set of heirs, reportedly including his sister Rosanna, other family members, his long-time collaborator Leo Dell’Orco and a charitable foundation.
Armani emerged in the 1970s as a major influence on how celebrities dressed. Fashion historians and industry figures credit him with modernizing red-carpet style and bringing tailored, understated looks to Hollywood. The designer’s work for actresses in the late 1970s and 1980s, when stars began wearing couture and designer tailoring on awards stages and at premieres, helped redefine the relationship between film stardom and fashion houses.
The designer’s ties to the British royal family received renewed attention after his death. Armani had previously spoken about Princess Diana’s style, telling Women’s Wear Daily in 2017 that Diana favored “clean, modern lines” and noting that, before her death in 1997, she had been choosing one of his simplest sketch designs for a custom dress. Media accounts say Diana was wearing an Armani jacket on the night she died. Diana’s nieces and other royal-adjacent figures who had worn Armani on public occasions highlighted that link in their messages of condolence.
Armani’s personal life was often kept private even as his company grew into a global brand. He never married and had no children. In interviews he acknowledged past relationships with both men and women but rarely discussed his private life in detail. He spoke publicly about the death in 1985 of his long-term partner, Sergio Galeotti, from an AIDS-related illness, and in a recent interview said he was, at times, “a bit indifferent” to love. In later years he maintained a close personal and professional relationship with Leo Dell’Orco, who served as a right-hand executive at the fashion house.
Tributes emphasized both Armani’s creative impact and his role as a cultural presence. Princess Charlene recalled wearing an Armani gown at her 2011 wedding to Prince Albert II of Monaco in an Instagram post accompanying a photo of the couple with the designer. Anna Wintour, among other senior industry figures, has credited Armani with giving movie stars “a modern way to look,” reflecting how his streamlined tailoring and emphasis on clean silhouettes allowed women to adopt looks that competed with traditionally masculine tailoring.
Armani’s death comes weeks before a milestone the company had been planning: a 50th-anniversary celebration tied to Milan Fashion Week. The event was expected to be a major moment for the brand and the city, underscoring the extent to which Armani’s name had become synonymous with Italian fashion and Milan’s international profile.
Reports about succession plans indicate that control of the company will be divided among a small group of close collaborators and family members. Media coverage named a mixture of relatives and trusted executives as prospective successors; company statements earlier this year signaled Armani’s intention to ensure the house’s continuity beyond his lifetime. The firm’s global operations span clothing, accessories, perfumes and home lines, and its financial scale has made questions of inheritance and governance a central topic for business and fashion media following the announcement of his death.
Armani’s aesthetic and business model influenced multiple generations of designers and clients, from red-carpet stars to corporate figures who embraced his neutral palettes and soft tailoring. Colleagues and rivals noted his meticulous involvement in the design and presentation of his collections. As tributes continued to circulate, commentators in fashion and culture reflected on how Armani’s work shifted perceptions of elegance and modern femininity while building one of the most enduring names in contemporary fashion.