Today, the fashion world bows its head in a moment of collective reflection and grief. Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian designer whose name became synonymous with timeless style, has passed away at the age of 91. The news from Milan landed with a hush; the Armani Group’s statement spoke of “infinite sorrow” and noted that its founder “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” having worked tirelessly until his final days. The news from Milan landed with a hush; the Armani Group’s statement spoke of “infinite sorrow” and noted that its founder “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” having worked tirelessly until his final days.
Everything I do stems from a great passion combined with an almost maniacal attention to detail. My vision of style is crystal clear and perfectly formed, and is reflected in everything that bears my name
Giorgio Armani’s journey began far from the spotlights of the runway, in the northern Italian town of Piacenza where he was born on July 11, 1934. Raised by an accountant father and a homemaker mother in provincial post-war Italy, he initially set his sights on medicine, enrolling at the University of Milan to study the human body rather than drape it in luxury. Fate, however, had other plans. After three years he left academia to fulfill military service, and upon his return in 1957 he found himself drawn into the world of fashion – first as a window dresser at Milan’s La Rinascente department store, then as a buyer, and eventually as a designer for Nino Cerruti in the 1960s These early years spent learning the craft from the ground up proved invaluable. Armani discovered an innate understanding of what people wanted to wear, and more importantly, how clothing could make them feel.
In 1975, armed with this experience and a fearless ambition, Giorgio Armani took a leap that would alter the course of fashion history. Together with his partner (in business and life) Sergio Galeotti, he famously sold their Volkswagen car to scrape together about $10,000 in seed money. With that modest capital, the pair established the Giorgio Armani label – a small Milanese startup with a staff of just a handful, but a world of potential in its founder’s imagination.
I always did it my own way. Even today, I hold my independence close
Armani reflected in an interview years later, and indeed, that independent spirit was present from the very start. The first Armani ready-to-wear collections launched in 1975 for men and women, and they immediately hinted at a new direction. Here was a designer intent on rewriting the rules of elegance – quietly, methodically, but with revolutionary effect.
Yet for all the worldwide influence and opulence associated with his name, inside the Armani company the atmosphere was one of family. Giorgio Armani was a beloved mentor and figurehead to those who worked for him – many of whom stayed for decades. “We have always felt like part of a family… Today we feel the void left by the person who founded this family with vision, passion, and dedication,” his employees and relatives wrote in a heartfelt statement on the day of his passing. Under his leadership, young designers and old tailors alike were treated with equal respect. Longtime staff recall how he would invite warehouse clerks and pattern-makers to dinners at his home, listening to their stories with genuine interest. In an industry often accused of superficiality, Armani’s humility and loyalty fostered an environment where excellence was expected but humanity was valued. This too is part of his legacy: a corporate culture more couture house than mass corporation, bound by personal loyalty and shared ideals.
Giorgio Armani acknowledges applause at the end of a fashion show in his later years. With his trademark modest smile and composed grace, the designer took his final bows having left an indelible mark on the world of style.
Giorgio Armani’s passing is a moment of historical punctuation, a full-stop at the end of an extraordinary chapter in design. But his story is far from over. It lives on in la giacca morbida – that soft jacket he pioneered – and in every garment that strives for the elusive balance of comfort and elegance. It lives on in Milan’s streets, where his influence on architecture and culture persists, and in the wider world’s conception of Italian fashion, which he so expertly reframed. In 2022, asked how he hoped to be remembered, Armani responded with characteristic sincerity: “The legacy I’d like to leave is one of hard work, respect, and attention to reality. Success in fashion comes from looking at people and their needs… It starts from making beautiful clothes.”
Fashion is a serious job – and a wonderful one
Today, as we mourn the man and celebrate his legacy, those words ring truer than ever. Giorgio Armani’s life’s work was indeed serious and wonderful: serious in its purpose, wonderful in its impact.
