Giorgio Armani, fashion designer, owner of a billion-dollar brand, and pioneer in his field, passed away on Thursday, September 4th, 2025.
Armani began his career in the early 60’s as an apprentice in Milan fashion shops, but he quickly excelled. Eventually, He was asked by couture designer Nino Cerruti to “restructure the company’s approach.” According to the BBC. A few years later, he soon met his lover, Sergio Galeotti, who came to work by his side. Galeotti encouraged Armani to start his own fashion business, even if it meant starting small.
In the late 60s, Armani’s fashion focused on “softened menswear and hardened womenswear.” The BBC stated. His masculinization of women’s clothes was due to the influx of women into the workplace; Women needed options that weren’t just skirts and dresses, and also needed to be seen as equals by their peers. This was extremely influential in a time of profound change.
A decade later, Armani won a contest to dress Richard Gere for his 1980 film, American Gigolo. Gere appears in full Armani outfits throughout the whole movie. This brought an extensive amount of publicity for Armani, and he went on to dress stars for the Oscars and other media like Miami Vice and The Untouchables. He went on to launch Armani Jeans, Emporio Armani, and also made a fragrance deal with L’Oreal.
In 1985, Sergio Galeotti passed from an AIDS-related illness. Armani claimed that not being able to stop it was the greatest failure of his career. Armani heavily retreated from the public eye for a long time following his partner’s death. With the retreat came loneliness, so Armani decided to continue to grow his businesses.
Armani’s fashion knowledge, starting in Milan, allowed it to be a serious name in the fashion world, coming just behind Paris. Armani was always ahead of the trends, had an ever-changing style, and was never afraid of a challenge. His perseverance allowed him to amass an estimated fortune of $13 billion.
Giorgio Armani’s originality and innovation put him at the top of the fashion game, making him hard to forget. His ravishing works will never be forgotten, and the fashion community will continue to honor and reference him for centuries to come.
