Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, has died at the age of 91.

Armani passed away in the northern Italian city of Milan, his company said in a statement on Thursday.

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“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” it said.

The fashion icon “worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing future projects”, the statement added.

One of the most recognisable names and faces in the global fashion industry, Armani missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of spring-summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition.

He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.

Starting with an unlined jacket, a simple pair of pants and an urban palette, Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late 1970s, creating an instantly recognisable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.

From the executive office to the Hollywood screen, Armani dressed the rich and famous in classic tailored styles, fashioned in super-soft fabrics and muted tones. His handsome black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets.

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At the time of his death, Armani had put together an empire worth over $10bn, which along with clothing included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers and even chocolates, ranking him in the world’s top 200 billionaires, according to Forbes.

Lifetime of legacy

Armani was born in 1934 in Piacenza, a town in the industrial heartland of northern Italy, close to Milan, one of three children of Ugo Armani and Maria Raimondi.

His father worked at the headquarters of the local Fascist party before becoming an accountant for a transport company. His mother was a homemaker.

In 1975, Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for $10,000 to start up their own menswear ready-to-wear label. Womenswear followed a year later.

The symbol of Armani’s new style was the liningless sports jacket, which was launched in the late 1970s and became an instant success from Hollywood to Wall Street. The designer paired the jacket with a simple T-shirt, an item of clothing he termed “the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet”.

The Armani suit soon became a must in the closet of the well-heeled man. And for women, the introduction of the pantsuit in the executive workroom was all but revolutionary.

Dubbed the “power suit” with its shoulder-padded jacket and man-tailored trousers, the pantsuit became the trademark of the rising class of businesswomen in the 1980s.

Over the years, Armani would soften the look with delicate detailing, luxurious fabrics and brighter shades for his basic beige and grey palette. His insistence on pants and jackets led some critics to label his fashion “androgynous”.

The designer also owned several bars, clubs, and restaurants and his own basketball team – EA7 Emporio Armani Milan, better known as Olimpia Milano.