Italian fashion designer who died on September 4th 2025, aged 91. He revolutionised men's tailoring by stripping the stiffness out of the English suit, replacing heavy wool with crepe, dismissing shoulder pads and snipping away the lining. The result was a softer, more fluid silhouette in beige, sand and light green. He applied the same principles to womenswear, offering suits that gave fluid confidence without the rigidity of tight trousers and skirts.
Armani grew up in northern Italy. He toyed with becoming a doctor, then served in the army, before drifting into dressing windows. By 1964 he was designing a menswear line for Nino Cerruti.
He founded his company in 1975 with his life partner, Sergio Galeotti, raising capital by selling his blue Volkswagen Beetle. Armani did the designing; Galeotti did the books. In its first year the company chalked up $14,000 in sales; a decade later it made $100m. By 2024 it was worth $9.3bn-11.7bn and had branched into sportswear, furnishings, hotels, clubs, chocolates and floristry. The more down-market range, Emporio Armani, was relatively cheap.
After Galeotti's death from AIDS in 1985, Armani became the sole shareholder. He rebuffed the big four French luxury houses, insisting on independence. He hoped the firm would stay in the family, in the care of his right-hand man, his two nieces and his nephew.
Figures for 2024, published shortly before Armani's death, showed revenue down 6% and operating profit (before depreciation and amortisation) down 24%. Operating margins were just over 17%. The firm had become increasingly reliant on royalties from cosmetics and other products made by others under its label. Armani is the fourth-largest fragrance franchise in the world. Armani also owned a 2% stake in EssilorLuxottica, which has sold Armani eyewear since 1988.
Armani's will left the company to his foundation, family members and long-time collaborator Leo Dell'Orco. It ordered the sale of a 15% stake within 18 months of his death, specifying preferred buyers: EssilorLuxottica, L'Oréal or LVMH. An additional stake of 30-55% was to be sold to the same buyer within three to five years; the foundation was to retain at least 30% and some decision-making powers. If no deal is agreed, the will instructs that the firm be publicly listed. The will also featured surprising beneficiaries, including an aide granted millions in securities and access to the entrepreneur's yacht.
Analysts reckon the company can expect a valuation of $5bn-8bn. Giuseppe Marsocci, one of the designer's lieutenants, has become the new chief executive. The timing is difficult: sales of personal luxury goods fell by 2% in 2025, the second consecutive year of decline, according to Bain, a consultancy. Luca Solca of Bernstein points to Ralph Lauren—which has recently enjoyed a surge in sales—as a blueprint for resurrecting the brand: trim supply, refresh designs, splash out on marketing and take control of pricing by selling more through the brand's own stores.
The chief catalyst of Armani's rise was cinema. In 1980 his style flew to fame on the back of Richard Gere in "American Gigolo". Stars who took up his look included Diane Keaton, Tom Cruise, Sean Connery, Julia Roberts, Tina Turner and Kevin Costner. In 1983 he set up an office in Los Angeles; sometimes he gave his clothes away. No stilista had ever courted Hollywood so well.
A self-described introvert and a firm believer in astrology (a Cancer, he said, in every way), Armani was an absolutist about detail. He insisted on the final say on everything from the lanterns outside his Milan headquarters to the make-up on each of his models. He maintained homes in Milan, a penthouse on Central Park West, an island villa in Pantelleria, and others.
You will be reincarnated as a toad; and you will be much happier.