Giorgio Armani, Legendary Italian Designer, Dies at 91

The designer and billionaire brand owner, who revolutionized the fashion industry, passed away "peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones." His passing comes after he missed key brand events in recent months.

Italian fashion mogul Giorgio Armani has passed away. The billionaire's namesake brand announced his death in a press release on Instagram on Thursday, September 4, though no cause of death was revealed.

"With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani," the statement read. "Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones."

The fashion house shared that Armani "worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, to the collections, to the different and always new projects in being and to becoming." His passing follows a series of absences from his brand's key events in recent months.

According to the Associated Press, he missed the menswear show during Milan Fashion Week for the first time in 50 years. However, per the publication, Armani did stream the show live while he recovered from an undisclosed condition.

The Italian native initially didn't set out to pursue fashion. He studied medicine at university level for three years before serving two years of mandatory military service. Upon returning, he worked as a window dresser at a department store in Milan.

Armani moved up the ranks to become a buyer before eventually venturing into fashion design in the mid-1960s. He went on to build his namesake brand into a global empire spanning not only fashion but also fragrance, music, sports, luxury hotels, and restaurants — cementing his legacy for generations to come.