Legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani dead at 91

“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” his fashion house, Armani, said in a statement.

He passed away peacefully at home on Thursday surrounded by his family.

Well-wishers will be able to pay their respects at a funeral chamber across the weekend in Milan, while a private funeral will be held for him at an unspecified date.

The pioneering designer had built his mammoth fashion empire over 50 years and was the creative director, CEO and sole shareholder of the iconic brand until his death. The self-confessed workaholic had once remarked that his “greatest weakness” was that he was “in control of everything”, and had confessed his biggest regret in life was “spending too many hours working and not enough with friends and family”.

Armani’s passing came just weeks ahead of a planned 50th anniversary celebration which was scheduled to happen during Milan Fashion Week.

‘Today, with deep emotion, we feel the void left by the one who founded and nurtured this family with vision, passion, and dedication,” a spokesman said.

The designer had dressed celebrities including Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman and Lady Gaga for many red carpet events across his lengthy career, and was a regular fixture in Hollywood circles.

Born in 1934 in Piacenza, Italy, Armani initially pursued a career in medicine before enrolling in the army in his early twenties. His first stint in fashion was as a window dresser at the Milan department store La Rinascente in 1957.

In the 1960s, Armani designed menswear for Nino Cerruti and also freelanced for a number of other fashion houses before launching his own namesake brand in 1975 with both menswear and womenswear collections.

From there, Armani began to rapidly diversify his company, launching Giorgio Armani swimwear, underwear and accessories lines before introducing fragrances, Armani Jeans and Emporio Armani in the early 1980s. Around the same time, he began creating clothing for the big screen, famously designing the costumes for 1980s “American Gigolo,” among many other films.

He also set up shop on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, hiring LA-based reporter Wanda McDaniel to handle VIP outreach. In 1978, Diane Keaton accepted her Best Actress Oscar for Annie Hall in an oversized beige Armani blazer her character might’ve loved, and became the first Hollywood star to wear the brand on the red carpet.

– with Page Six.