A paragon of Italian fashion, the “maestro” who made power suits a wardrobe essential in the 1980s and introduced custom design to the celebrity red carpet, has left the fashion world mourning. On September 4, the Armani Group confirmed that its founder and creative director, Giorgio Armani, had died at the age of 91.
The company issued a statement saying, “Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.” “Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.”
Mr. Armani poses with models at the finale of a 1990 fashion show.
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Giorgio Armani takes his final bow at an Armani runway in January.
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On social media, industry insiders and stars, including supermodel Linda Evangelista, former creative director Donatella Versace, actor Samuel L. Jackson, and actress Gemma Chan, paid their respects to the designer known as “Il Maestro” and “the King” at the height of his powers.
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Mr. Armani, as he was also called, didn’t begin his design career until the mid-1970s, at the age of 40, when he decided to start his own label. Less than a decade later, he graced the cover of Time magazine, contributed to several major films’ costume departments, and dressed stars like Italian legend Sophia Loren. By the 1990s, “Armani” had become a symbol of both awards season and corporate offices: career women wore Armani suits to feel powerful, while actresses and musicians relied on Armani for their biggest stage moments.
Giorgio Armani posing with Sophia Loren in Milan, circa 1994.
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Cate Blanchett re-wore one of her favorite Armani dresses to the 2025 Venice Film Festival.
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Gemma Chan was dressed in Armani Privé for the 2025 Venice Film Festival.
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Casual observers today may take it for granted that celebrities show up to their premieres and award shows in bespoke Armani Privé gowns. It was never guaranteed that women like Viola Davis or Angelina Jolie would tackle the awards season circuit in the label. His mastery of tailoring—first perfected in slouchy suiting that migrated from menswear to womenswear—appealingly translated to custom gowns, however.
In a 2013 interview with The Telegraph, Mr. Armani explained that he was “one of the first designers to dress stars on and off screen.” Before working with him, “They didn’t always have a particular style, or the dress sense to know what to wear for an occasion. I helped them feel more confident and relaxed.”
Beyoncé wore Armani’s designs countless times in her career, including to a 2003 benefit with Giorgio Armani himself.
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Anne Hathaway and Giorgio Armani at an Armani Privé show in 2007.
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Gwyneth Paltrow and Giorgio Armani in 1996.
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Julia Roberts and Giorgio Armani served as Met Gala co-chairs in 2008.
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As news circulated of Mr. Armani’s passing, so did retrospectives on his looks for the likes of Beyoncé, Salma Hayek, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Taylor Swift.
Stylist Brad Goreski reflected on Armani’s dresses for Demi Moore’s awards season campaign this past winter. Her first major win for a dramatic role arrived at the 2025 Golden Globes, where she was dressed in an Armani Privé gown channeling her trophy’s shine. “We were so lucky to get to wear his gorgeous Privé designs to Cannes and have custom gowns made for her for the Golden Globes and Oscars,” Goreski wrote. “Thank you for the amazing memories and the pleasure of working with you.”
Angelina Jolie dressed in Armani for the 55th annual Golden Globes in 1998.
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Demi Moore would win her first Golden Globe in custom Armani Privé.
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Viola Davis accepted her first Academy Award while wearing Armani in 2017.
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Giorgio Armani appeared at his last runway show earlier this year. His fingerprints are all over the 2025 Venice Film Festival red carpet, where stars including Cate Blanchett, Gemma Chan, Kaitlyn Dever, and Sadie Sink have worn a mixture of suiting and bespoke gowns from the house. In street style, his influence lives on in the resurgence of 1980s-inspired suiting and hats: a combination that first got its footing on the Armani runways the first time around.
Salma Hayek, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Beyoncé sit front-row at an Armani pre-Oscars fashion show in the early 2000s.
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The Armani Group has not yet announced who will succeed its industry-shaping founder. In the meantime, fashion creator @ideservecouture may have summed up the industry’s feelings best in his farewell to the designer. “A man that always deserved a standing ovation,” he wrote alongside a video capturing one of Mr. Armani’s final bows. “Your vision and your outlook on beauty will definitely be missed.”
