Iconic fashion designer and red carpet legend Giorgio Armani has died at age 91, his company announced on Thursday.
The billionaire passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones in Milan, according to a statement from his family and employees.
“In this company, we have always felt like part of a family. Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion and dedication,” they shared. “But it is precisely in his spirit that we, the employees and the family members who have always worked alongside Mr. Armani, commit to protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory, with respect, responsibility and love.”
The Armani Group also noted that the late icon worked until his final days, in an effort to ensure ongoing and future collections look their best. He famously founded Armani in 1975 and designed costumes for hundreds of films, including “The Untouchables.”
Born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy, Armani got his start in fashion as a window dresser at La Rinascente after a brief stint in medical school and the army. He went on to design menswear for Nino Cerruti and also freelanced for Allegri, Bagutta, Hilton, Gibò, Montedoro, Sicons and Tendresse, to name a few. The Italian designer then established Giorgio Armani S.p.A. in July 1975.
In addition to multiple CFDA awards and a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, Armani is often credited for getting the red carpet to where it is today.
