Legendary Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died, his fashion house announced.
Armani has died at the age of 91, and his death was confirmed by his fashion company.
“It is with immense sadness that the Armani Group announces the death of its creator, founder and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” the statement said.
The fashion design pioneer gained fame by dressing some of the world’s most famous faces.
He was synonymous with modern Italian style and elegance. He combined a talent for design with a shrewd businessman’s acumen, running a company that generated annual sales of around 2.3 billion euros.
During his 50-year reign over the fashion world, he built a fashion empire, mixing business and pleasure with close friends including Richard Gere, Donatella Versace and Renée Zellweger.
He had been unwell for some time and was forced to pull out of his group’s shows at Milan Men’s Fashion Week in June, the first time in his career that he had missed a runway event.
He was also known as “Re Giorgio” or “King Giorgio”. He oversaw every detail of his collection and every aspect of his business, from advertising to styling models’ hair as they walked the runway.
A memorial hall will be set up in Milan on Saturday and Sunday, the company said, followed by a private funeral, the date of which has not been announced.
