Giorgio Armani, a stalwart of Milan ready-to-wear who revolutionised fashion with unstructured looks, has died at 91 due to age-related illness, the company said on Thursday. Armani had been unwell for some time.
“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” the fashion house said in a statement.
Known as “Re Giorgio” or King Giorgio, Armani was known for his modern Italian style and elegance. He combined the flair of the designer with the acumen of a businessman, running a company that turned over some 2.3 billion euros a year.
Armani’s funeral chamber will be set up on September 6 and 7 in Milan, the group said, followed by a private funeral at an unspecified date.
Due to his ill-health, the Italian fashion designer was earlier forced to drop out of his group’s shows at Milan’s Men’s Fashion Week in June, which marked the first time in his career that he had missed one of his catwalk events.
He was known for overseeing every detail of his collection and every aspect of his business, from advertising to fixing models’ hair as they head out on to the runway.
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(with inputs from Reuters)
