Giorgio Armani, Legendary Italian Fashion Designer, Dies At 91

Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian fashion designer, has passed away at the age of 91.

Armani’s death was confirmed by the brand on its official Instagram page. It said that Armani worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, its collections, and ongoing future projects. It added that he was “indefatigable to the end.”

Born into a poor family in 1934, Armani credited his mother for his interest in fashion. “She always ensured that my brother, sister, and myself were immaculately dressed,” Armani said in a 2006 interview with U.K. designer Stella McCartney. After a journey that comprised a medical school education, enlisting in the army, and then becoming a merchandiser, Armani eventually transitioned to what his calling was – the world of fashion design.

In 1975, Armani launched a readymade line of clothing for men and women, co-founded by Sergio Galeotti, with an initial capital of $10,000. Eventually, he expanded the company’s portfolio to include bags, watches, eyewear, jeans, and perfume.

One of the perfumes launched by Armani, Acqua di Gio, was among the most popular scents for men. It was commercialized by L’Oreal SA. Armani had a wealth of $9.4 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. However, he had no children, although some of his relatives are on the company’s board.

In a 2009 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Armani said he had no one to share his success with and that his work commitments ate into his opportunities to have fun.

“But having got to where I am now, I cannot allow myself to have doubts. What I am doing now is what I wanted to do 20 years ago, so this automatically gives me a certain serenity with the choices that I have made,” Armani said.

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