As Giorgio Armani passes away, a look at the legacy of the king of fashion

Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who turned minimalist suits into global status symbols and built a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, died in Milan aged 91

“Armani ke kapde pehenta hai kya” was a phrase that was used in the '90s to chide anyone in India’s small towns and semi-urban cities showing off newly-bought clothes which felt designer, premium, and expensive. The name carried weight even where actual Armani stores never reached. The man behind that global recognition, Giorgio Armani, passed away on Thursday in Milan, aged 91. Known as the “king of fashion,” Armani built an iconic, eponymous empire that changed how the world dressed.

 

Giorgio Armani was an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur, born on July 11, 1934 in Piacenza, Italy. He dropped out of medical school to pursue a career in fashion, beginning in 1957 as a window dresser and buyer at Milan’s department store La Rinascente.

 

 

At the time of his death, he remained the sole shareholder of his privately-owned company. In 2023, the Armani group recorded revenues of about $2.65 billion, which spanned ready-to-wear clothing line for men and women, the Emporio Armani line, Armani Privé couture, home interiors, a wide chain of restaurants, more than 2,500 stores worldwide, perfumes and a widely followed beauty brand.

 

Notably, his empire extended well beyond clothing and in relaxed tailoring, the popular “Liquid Silk” foundation, or in carefully designed interiors. He introduced a softer, more fluid silhouette, favouring muted colours, natural shoulders and less formal eveningwear for both men and women. The designer frequently drew inspiration from Asian traditions - Akira Kurosawa’s 1980 film 'Kagemusha' helped shape his fall 1981 'Samurai' collection.

 

From Hollywood to power suits: Armani’s rise to fame

 

Armani’s global breakthrough arrived in 1980 when he dressed Richard Gere in 'American Gigolo', highlighting his minimalistic and softly tailored style into the public eye. Over the 1980s, his so-called 'power suits' became symbols of confidence and luxury in business and entertainment. He also capitalised on Hollywood appeal, opening a Los Angeles office in 1983, becoming one of the first designers to use celebrity dressing as a strategic branding platform.

 

Under his watchful eye, the group added accessories, perfumes, cosmetics, furnishings, restaurants, and hotels to the clothing brand. His house introduced such sub-brands as Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, Armani Jeans, Armani Junior, Armani Privé, and Armani Casa, some of which were priced lower than the main brand to help take it beyond the circumscribed world of high fashion.

 

In 2010, affirming his integrated lifestyle concept, he opened the first Armani Hotel, located in the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, personally overseeing interior design and style.

 

Armani’s contributions were consistently acknowledged. He received the Neiman Marcus Award in 1979 and CFDA International and Menswear Lifetime Achievement Awards in the 1980s. Later accolades included the Compasso d’Oro Career Award in 2014 and Italy’s Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit in 2021.

 

Giorgio Armani: The man behind the brand

 

Known for his intense privacy and rigorous standards, Armani was a perfectionist, writes The Wall Street Journal. Despite his wealth, which was valued at over Euro 12 billion, making him Italy’s second-richest person, Armani resisted selling his company. Instead he created a foundation in 2016 that outlined his succession plans, including the establishment of a charitable foundation and provisions for a possible stock market listing or sale.

 

The business remained in the hands of a tightly-knit family and inner circle. His sister Rosanna served on the board of directors, while his nieces Silvana and Roberta played leading roles, with the former as head of womenswear design and the latter overseeing VIP and entertainment relations. His nephew, Andrea Camerana, managed sustainability efforts. Among his closest collaborators was Pantaleo (Leo) Dell’Orco, head of menswear and Armani’s long-time confidant, who in recent years often joined him on stage at the end of fashion shows.

 

What were Armani’s controversies?

 

However, like all prominent personalities, Giorgio Armani’s life wasn’t without its fair share of controversies as he faced both legal and ethical scrutiny throughout his career. In the 1990s, he received a suspended sentence over a bribery case involving Italian tax officials. More recently, in August 2025, Italy’s antitrust regulator fined the Armani group Euro 3.5 million for misleading claims about the ethical and social responsibility of its supply chain whereas workers employed by its subcontractors faced unsafe conditions and illegal practices.

 

In 2024, Giorgio Armani Operations, a company of the Armani Group, was placed under judicial watch by order of an Italian judge because of an investigation that uncovered the use of unlawful and undeclared Chinese labourers in its subcontracted factories.

 

Final years and Armani’s legacy

 

At age 90, Armani missed Milan Fashion Week shows for the first time in June 2025 following a brief hospital stay. He remained active in creative direction, although Dell’Orco began representing him at shows.