Giorgio Armani is dead.
Thursday morning, the Armani Group shared an extensive statement announcing the fashion legend’s death, noting the “indefatigable” figure “worked until his final days” and remained dedicated to “the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects.”
The Italian designer, whose impact on fashion and beyond is inarguable, was 91. In a statement attributed to “his employees, his family,” it’s said that work will be done to “commit to protecting what [Armani] built and to carrying his company forward in his memory.”
Per the Armani Group, it was the wish of Giorgio, pictured above expressing gratitude for the audience at a Paris show in 2023, that funerals in his honor “take place privately.”
Armani, whose namesake company kicked off decades of unparalleled success in 1975, told Elle magazine earlier this year that he was “not one for self-congratulation,” despite having more than earned the right to do so. Still, he was “proud” of having seen the fashion house commemorate its 50th year, not to mention of how younger stars, including Zendaya, had opted for key Armani pieces at crucial moments along their own artistic journeys.
In June, for the first time ever, Armani was forced to miss one of the house’s shows, with a statement shared at the time attributing his absence to a need for at-home recovery from unspecified health issues.
Armani’s influence extended well beyond fashion, as the celebrated designer’s work could also be seen on Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and in another beloved Marty film, the Robert De Niro-led Casino. Scorsese, it should be noted, was once described as “a longtime friend” of Armani, and just last year the director, who previously helmed the Made in Milan documentary, was enlisted for a Kith and Armani collaboration.
RIP.