Giorgio Armani was hailed as a humanitarian for recovery efforts forged in Italy during the COVID-19 crisis. Image credit: Giorgio Armani
Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani has lost its founder and creative director.
The Armani Group announced Thursday that Giorgio Armani died at age 91, ending an era for one of fashion’s most influential independent labels. Marking five decades at the helm of the luxury empire, the leader has left the industry in mourning.
Fashion legacy
Mr. Armani “passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones,” according to a company statement released Sept. 4.
Speculation regarding the designer’s health followed his notable absence from the brand’s shows at Milan Men’s Fashion Week in June, marking the first time he had missed one of his runway presentations.
Known for bringing refinement to the power suit and transforming contemporary fashion, Armani built a multibillion-dollar business. Mr. Armani remained the sole owner of his company throughout its 50-year history, working alongside a close-knit team of longtime colleagues and family members.
Following news of Mr. Armani’s death, a range of celebrities and industry voices have honored the fashion legend with tributes. The company had been planning exhibitions and events during Milan Fashion Week this month to celebrate the brand’s golden anniversary.
The entrepreneur earned honors as recently as 2023, when he received an honorary doctorate in global business management from Italy’s Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (see story).
Questions now arise about succession planning for the independent fashion house. Reports eye Mr. Armani’s family members, including nieces Silvana and Roberta, nephew Andrea Camerana and longtime business partner Pantaleo Dell’Orco, for potential leadership roles.
{“ct”:”HSoCgg6GLxX\/+6pD1congjzHJiD0k4NKDge1gln6tLNr7PfPZcxWgh1BShcn1p9drFyBwhI3ve4qpzShCoHd5MKw2qEbY8AayDLUS2HK9L4fyZF1g9\/FG9AB3YCuaqPLW+\/8LFwOCsl4Y+37ssvXhKd6EvyL6bfENS5VMHg3ZntB+AxtwYPMW47XjvRNs9IQ5uO+R0fA6Ta9F\/SLKOfnxvOsIAEPukmJdR9SALQGoDOAQ\/9p2R0lAiJLcANuffNadhbcXTe7K5gM04INU9xAKXpT3c8Br4za\/90PeDCeKkWxZazdaqrzw2sXPLyXpwSIprl6bO4P88USH94xvsUpxp3JThRrMDRTmgc\/bRfW2cVCbHsvSLl9DWyP6haYNX4TRGTTz8xaglP+NNjR+ummXJHNf9sa5UGwSXeXCb0MDBa1UY8CJ7nicVnw9D72gPJtWoh\/bUhRViHzkTk5PVXjJjwbwhd7gcBPkn\/wD7mm\/H0Eo\/KjpymIoRFpP3Fa38bM9ZcZjZA5ZLBI\/bPdJJ04vbwe9A8cxbjmnhS3Ko70tTSpNsZNxUue8wQSHOEy4RouMV8fYP4msIlEkTVSqULvBO3HtPYLJBvaFSJVoZ7jUxS77vkcPwae6ifn3WdTgxXIxf95MF0MUbxC6OaxZN442++2Dy0KR3B3+wjqdEmZfb5nJXKVnylavkSM5mDYMmhENzMPRF3CPTBLxPva9ERmFoxHValVt\/aSDQIxbGy1IM+hptW31dn7WERgnyUB5VkkqDdImRkteuyHnz9U4zwMvE5ENn7Z0ETvQBb2fnGna0bqYzx5Xt5Xbm5u15r9i2HTYyf7k4VWyy073QLsImIVnhKiiVKgrbRHP6FQzsg+wOdZWhcnaWk9Kti5KqZCkE0pySI92fOSyX9FtElgrqsSyDM+GbdyVRN2laRSQL8nXKOkofo37aO42rix\/XZEZ5+1ubPLq15G+2ba2fWVQewRKB+YdoHhUsr32c6gsMfCZnC0BFk5L1XYa04KQ6I8FX4sm5eQ41hxxX0BE2byh+7zPKx0tfHKGBq913EJavsD5YxzcPun9P8H0nE8Fce6BaIDWQ3gy0Hj2xh6J90PX7cxCOVB6G4f1uWTOoyYgODElKMeqWbGesf94BtSBddgbM6hhiMrIbvfUu8Nzb6GZokD0uoyXyTeLtbJEP6NXMGWcIWBPsOsZLxU33xGLru3DeVJQ0+yIT0CGEy8xUrfmasszHyAnhnFriFMX4vlzt4sbQuGmfXt3s3WzDbr7KHsH1f9uLOyouevtYl4PyP810FbugQtTI+ov8puNoVyfVb5FjrwnG1cM64VDmZtG1A39mCK7F9JaO\/UHI3qYDnBfFn+NwF+Xq9nHdKrQkjQ9h8bsvTFubLaan7sFrWZIiTJLyG8lShKePqwYlc0mYdSGfBtjgeJglv6b+v0qQftY7Y483Dg5vGVvSdXVVdWzN7m+IGCn9UCsAsEv1oybAoA5Bu9CFNuErR2shtmasmW7tU6lUI8xa93KEBqTK4XPS6A0KPudk3YXumP3\/FroYN1ls9t3X4gUDfghoIV4A4jXZUgqaOvztKMmWbUxPUGk\/VVZ15ZD\/7Yoxtzh7D8616yh2cy8lY\/e\/rQA+fmiIjuRNWobWampT85Vqougmc5a+epC3qlAprqS82+mDB1vG\/PPG6ii0YDrE5k8QlZf7TKHg4u0mbeqUijVdS4+jw0CLTT\/TdH1F3mB5t62QY+LCOQmk59PoOha8v0qyUdEg2HBoBMtqd9gsMJoacbAw2Q0EGdYm8Jty11JpW0KmkYs6AA7nGKjvBOoejrznOP\/M4H9HAZZdS0UP9fnVKr6woxTyDjwCGjvCRke218RkgkJKNtOA9MeLvJd9Eh2FSvWWvrjKxIf512xkPgh+iscShfYCwVABd57jUKrZTopLGc4gwC3GKy74f6vEJrzbtNr6fbajU93ElhI0\/IC+jKDKqsuz\/rqAlVl0TcgMuSfueiNMMc65zpzjf6uOzDyL3UIJ1L5ch1dIa5Ma3uLs3ha6gKQqIZTsOwveTwRmgRRUvw4f4v6cudqGaNfWtyH2hJsUfopLQb1H\/zHOVwhPFo90whrFX93efgypRUOAMHHzWcJ5ZpYFyDVUFD8u2K54Ga\/6ydP\/81gDkDtGo6JkqXar6ZNGbU\/d2KH195xoB0eaSWxjg4QgEfk1tSxS+brUBjjOQSBolwpucBeVh7Y98jqwnAPUPZBQRju4U8vdF5ETsCH1Y7wb83lfB+EZlpcopBiXPlERuKWZIbnTOBn7oc3zouYE9H6e+sH8uioFNj2wGmmWx3dcR2EJ2VbFpJzPi8mTp2qrr8UeKnLdfiKbQ59ITGDqMWSaHmgX69X8cEEzjnVI8A7YiOth2ixEpzCet9V\/khzyhghQ6spVtSfc9qlY9NW3WWfvsKlN0hUpo\/vHRIBoEP7BknTuSEbFy2Q++Pz1RpHMSRi1R9tLCuJlkkLHQ9q1g+uP1gsWzRvtkbUNEZjE6c+n1H3PRYeIaFxTqVLZt\/f1BCzsvmfzr1t9OzkPwEbM5RJ+ttc1J7RdCqCLQZIJx+gfZPOEyS+YM\/4zVkCM\/3RLcLdfsI8Q+A4xLvwriCxWd369USwFATme3zYiLE4xhzfqI4bbHxn\/Zg7L3h2S\/UN3IUuxKfZb\/FIR7ng+MK4NcGIZFLM87dHPaQ\/y2UUQJmU46+jwGBrSeU4114r8JIDrJrJBmdsRjPvy9ahHKarx3RsjOuSmyBaAmQ6SjZQHAccZik9aKjetsO1t4867RfsQeju65MKqjmMp9IXWTPnmVVGlwyKVlyikfbcbUSpn9NzJ\/sCeb2Xq4tDLT1ytG\/LRWAFF\/v\/yeVWj7u\/7IzDRI2fN8uQ7Tk1kNztyZCkZyTrJRx13ZQ6lk5mMFbD4+l5J6aFQ6cQLIP6hZmeIodIeFEUbw4LonpQrZWBttoCOda0xgNVhsk2zo2FIZI7iYNX7M96FfDwEggCd+wvvH7Vn6CKgE83DDTiWZJNsFqBiHjAoeBcG0C4Ar1emdexhyNqatrW88Fghxb36ZSpRGcenfJCm5Tb0+cDRa74zv6qdlTCSc2CCFyyKJ5P0Q8TLJ\/N80VIn9pwZfE\/8\/cZTbq\/7s55aeOCpfvfG5ZX94jtMNQhvkPGTaP1qyl\/zJKd6dRWhXzNGNMNtK3QGM09TfhLGaWzHnWuwsJLTOCj2vmuW9UHHDPcN4ZfD9qvWgGb2eMmwYOE9LA31UZtGmglbt3ZuictvhKKI65D2g2+jYT7wxzX7tw9BzB2h7STNtp7hQaBzLGHgc2W+L1oXekn2VxMSAkG0kKd6bGLO8LC9meAT3IYBJzqSNUXLQXYUv3R1CjPOtl3snYL296CP1y9r03ZQgkAXWq77lq28tZLdU\/08MB8M61qPubao2w0bvepGC0HzzCr4tkA0Z7r7PH892Lv4ntUb1A4geQiOGHPMZ3QZnhikIQq90eeTVepj+ask6NHBc4gC+4ISFQywjfCrOsgtyUn2GQujOevLMpTKcKWKJj5z2Xtfye6Oek6Kvte\/ppszw3O9nRNkjfthiokNHXNj1Tpkqx0CyhC1y4zXw1cc0coHZ8BtLebHlAWD0+xkOqRYBoOpMCvJeT68OjgdqnHED9tfOhsNcCnn8r\/8lsa33Mygtwo8kpWGGyyAZUECUS1MAUC5ZuN148GzQfyJtEDg8GpZOZV714G9DLk+Xm8wsXL244MSFxLo8+liDZOhuv4EgvFcY1yOQOPK6vAsom2PLQIXmNOq6Je2AjLgoF9ifqQ7vgFulbVTbgFX2dODeyYXYGSkDAcG8Su2Dy71JS5ZeMTSlV49cYSaCvuHMwe\/8F+85NDj1gXgR0ZVdPmw4RHwrrLLo+inIRF4RZWNDFYWjhUAfc+SEWjl\/eVnV\/gPMNdXCVJXs+Msk9L9siCQXgpstapLN5pM6yOrhL5FiSBavIdkCFwxS9hMSgNdWI9bMAfoFR5+1CWJkizY5NAhkzIdZHKLQ1c5RpXYH2RiZ1TZ7YQJEPH\/amGLpdmUsdgdnzLr\/VLaGjN8Nl\/jf3Iq2ZHVbDzeq9cbKWSLeFwIwqFrShxWi6iOAuucH2vkPPW8XlGy5qgeOa7xu73V\/tW5KUIBYgjdorQULgyFjIHd0DNVXZFb6YeS7+1eiXyOn1q5JFkKc2v\/a2VgN4L1byJ8Ke49eimkDU5cN4MEAMjile+myyYA9zsaJPJRTPOsI1QjcCy8DsiVGLccIz\/PTAjtdPJRa\/vJtts2FhycnEdPQANqwz6e16+KgW3\/V+LmVaCDq+Yoeob3RJH66jRvfWI2B+0lYqNg0d4pGMZaWEC5ReZibvbhelcE5KB0ggBcsjWkoxXhiKoYaIOfQMmvYxfQiBtx0RcZ0z3Gm3bdS6YD2Ppw\/GoqdFyg1Imdqhg4ADtHFirRWvk3j+sitUaWNmvBKAO6Jdm\/WUYV5cmv5VmsFyelGtmEA99IZ1IUSJgedO6p4UuIVb2y5kH0rcPOP12BYpo0wjGon20r0bO1pttt2FuS5DA7F4SXXjUryOnyEhqvL\/wiYxJdlEpuMhY4pUM1yNDsVufdGbhEo1zODOyMVNc1beNcTTDdsvYIu\/b3jC3oNpx\/rd9XRVZznEMN9B6hJW9Z\/e0gdMZifPirBMzdbCW9DLE27mAvmp3SF2Yn49allG9DI4\/yOfKvkts\/FliMH5tJ2XE1CzyHsTbwvkXI3aVsrIe9LnYa+o8nWZxDmvcigLFt+waV4gMf4rWY8WsqbPvJUfSrzjDJQ3XCa+vUQjUDKBPZvFaSa9AZaoVKMV2NB99PbvZVSehiQVH0tJrUaQmQuSXi6ucrMCbrRM+eeg8cbw0Q0lbtElv967N7u0gRZu7reawU1cGkoHyml18OacSBRNWeDlOyQqi11wZ0M4U0lT\/Oeyw\/nM1aQDEUwT2rZWnZMvX1DFXtZgEVtZ4GWIZ7uNGZ9dwqXVTtB0V3H\/prPZPWQPqE5xYPU\/VMkmWfZguS0HVb1nGG2fFzXiqqrmb2heA50z0xtii9MCkXciWc4\/F4Md9DIwocddwxqO08+TEdYPQbaZv6T01z+t6ktCDeeEon6Pv+qWW+RNPpwUuFczbjLswMOq2A8EtkdHy0hzzDbRBI04k0iT1KaXkgxPcjBTgslAkOjtqzevlFrYYoW83vAtbB\/fUJBafgGj8q3XpKAD+3HyvDq\/UaKmq8uAzTdsqy5rVUiTEjpuutOqHmTzvNSk+Nar64QPK7oO+cWZzyuxob0mMm\/bSxA1ZhMLaxPx4jSfrWIThClHK1blRbdxaClt”,”iv”:”88560b826b5ce473f0321bcd1e8f3df4″,”s”:”a72408303c2c6187″}