Giorgio Armani, renowned fashion designer, dies at 91
The Armani Group confirmed the designer's death, marking the end of a decades-long reign as an Italian fashion powerhouse.
Italian fashion designer and mogul Giorgio Armani dies at 91, leaving behind a legacy of timeless tailoring, and a candid, sometimes complicated relationship with homosexuality.
The Armani Group announced the news, paying tribute to its founder as a global visionary.
“Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication,” the company said in a statement. “In his spirit, we commit to protecting what he built and carrying it forward with respect, responsibility, and love.”
Armani transformed Milanese fashion when he launched his label in 1975. His understated elegance both on and off the red carpet helped define Italian luxury into the 90s. Armani became synonymous with Italian luxury with the brand spanning fragrance, interiors, and hospitality.
The designer worked until his final days, presenting his Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection in Milan this June. The show would be his last bow in a career spanning nearly five decades.
Armani kept his sexuality private until 2000 when he told Vanity Fair he had “had women in my life. And sometimes men.”
He drew criticism in 2015 after telling The Sunday Times: “A homosexual man is a man… He does not need to dress homosexual… you know I’m homosexual – that has nothing to do with me. A man has to be a man.”
Nearly a decade later, Armani spoke openly to Corriere della Sera about his past confusion over his sexuality. “I was in a group of boys, of children, and there was a person in charge, a young man, who immediately inspired me with a feeling of love,” he revealed. “I didn’t realise this thing well, I didn’t follow it up. But from then on my life began, in another way.”
During his lifetime, Armani was often cited as one of the wealthiest openly LGBTQ+ figures in the world, with a net worth over nearly £10 billion. Throughout his life, he spoke candidly about his fluid approach to love and attraction, offering a nuanced perspective on identity that resonated with many, while sometimes ruffling feathers with his outspoken views