Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian designer who dressed the powerful and famous from the boardroom to Hollywood, passed away at the age of 91 on September 4, 2025. His fashion house announced that he passed away peacefully at home in Milan, “surrounded by his loved ones.” Indefatigable to the end, Armani worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, its collections, and future projects.
One of the most recognizable names and faces in global fashion, Armani turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar empire. From the executive office to the red carpet, he became synonymous with sleek tailoring and timeless glamour. His relaxed silhouettes, supersoft fabrics, and muted tones defined Italian ready-to-wear in the late 1970s and carried his name into the wardrobes of presidents, CEOs, and Hollywood’s brightest stars. On award season red carpets, Armani’s tuxedos and gowns often stole the show.
Though celebrated as the epitome of Italian style, Armani’s family heritage bore Armenian roots. According to the Armenian Mirror Spectator, his father, Ugo, descended from those who fled the Ottoman Empire during the 1915 Armenian Genocide before settling in Italy, while his mother, Maria Raimondi, was Italian. Armani himself rarely spoke publicly about this background, but several fashion historians and Armenian sources have highlighted this poignant lineage.
Armani honored his Armenian roots in his Spring/Summer 2022 collection Métissage (“crossbreeding”), a show inspired by Armenia. The collection featured Armenian-inspired designs, nomadic motifs, nautical rope belts, balloon trousers in flowing silk, and ethereal evening gowns in lilac, silver, pink, and purple. Accessories such as large totes and crocheted shoulder bags also nodded to journeys and exploration. As the Mirror Spectator noted, the show symbolized both Armani’s creative breadth and his connection to his Armenian heritage.
Born in Piacenza in 1934, Armani first aspired to become a doctor but joined the army, where he was transferred to Verona due to his medical background. After that experience, he chose a different path, working as a window dresser in Milan before designing menswear for Nino Cerruti in the 1960s. In 1973, encouraged by his partner and collaborator Sergio Galeotti, he opened a design office in Milan, freelancing for top brands. Two years later in 1975, the pair founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A., where Armani presented his first men’s ready-to-wear collection under his own name, along with a women’s line for the same season.
Over the next five decades, he built one of the largest privately owned fashion empires in the world, encompassing clothing, accessories, fragrances, hotels, and home furnishings. At the time of his death, Armani’s fortune was estimated at over $10 billion, ranking him among the world’s top 200 billionaires.
Tributes poured in from across the globe. Donatella Versace called him “a giant who made history.” Julia Roberts, who famously wore an oversized Armani suit to the 1990 Golden Globes, remembered him as “a true friend. A Legend.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised him as “a symbol of the best Italy,” recalling his elegance, sobriety, and creativity.
Known affectionately as “Re Giorgio” (King Giorgio), Armani remained proudly independent, guiding his house for 50 years. His passing marks the end of an era. Today, he is remembered not only as a pioneer of global fashion, but also as a designer whose quiet acknowledgment of his Armenian roots linked him to a people whose resilience has left a mark on history.
