Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US Edition

https://vidostream.com

In pictures: Crowds and fashion royalty bid farewell to Giorgio Armani

Crowds in Milan on Saturday waited in line to see the coffin of late fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died this week aged 91 and is now lying in state for two days. Among the mourners were Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace, mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and Ferrari chairman John Elkann.

People pay their respects to fashion designer Giorgio Armani, lying in state at the Armani/Teatro in Milan, northern Italy on September 6, 2025. © Antonio Calanni, AP

People pay their respects to fashion designer Giorgio Armani, lying in state at the Armani/Teatro in Milan, northern Italy on September 6, 2025. © Antonio Calanni, AP

Thousands of mourners paid homage Saturday to Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, who died this week aged 91, as his coffin was put on public display in Milan. 

Italian fashion icon Donatella Versace was among those who filed past Armani's closed casket at the headquarters of his multi-billion-euro lifestylecompany, which marked its 50th anniversary this year.

 

Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace arrives at the Armani Theatre on September 6, 2025.
Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace arrives at the Armani Theatre on September 6, 2025.  © Stefano Rellandini, AFP 

 

Adorned with a bouquet of white roses, the designer's closed wooden casket was laid out in a darkened room lit by paper candles, an image of Armani shown on a big screen.

The Italian died Thursday after months of fragile health and will be laid to rest at a private funeral on Monday.

Among the first mourners through the door was a large group of Armani staff, all in black mourning wear and black sunglasses.

 

People queue at the Armani Theatre in Milan on September 6, 2025.
People queue at the Armani Theatre in Milan on September 6, 2025.  © Stefani Rellandini, AFP 

 

"It's so emotional," said Silvia Albonetti, an Emporio Armani saleswoman. "He was an incredible man ... sometimes curt, but human.".

Tributes have flooded in for Armani from across the fashion industry and also Hollywood, where his understated but exquisitely tailored creations were beloved of the A-list.

Ferrari chairman John Elkann was also among the mourners on Saturday, many of whom were greeted by the coffin by Armani's partner Pantaleo Dell'Orco.

 

Head of Ferrari John Elkann and his wife Lavinia Borromeo arrive to pay their respects to late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani in Milan, on September 6, 2025.
Head of Ferrari John Elkann and his wife Lavinia Borromeo arrive to pay their respects to late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani in Milan, on September 6, 2025.  © Stefano Rellandini, AFP
 

Throughout his remarkable career, Armani kept top-to-bottom control of his company as it moved from fashion into luxury hotels, cosmetics, accessories and interiors.

When he died, he was one of the richest men in the world, with a net worth estimated at $11.8 billion, according to Forbes magazine. 

"Every fashion show was pure magic," fashion student Pietro Angeleri, 20, told AFP as he queued to pay his last respects. 

"No one has managed to make women stand out like he did. He will be missed."

 

People queue to see the coffin of late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani lying-in state for two days at the Armani Theatre in Milan, on September 6, 2025.
People queue to see the coffin of late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani lying-in state for two days at the Armani Theatre in Milan, on September 6, 2025.  © Stefano Rellandini, AFP
 

Liver problems

The company has not revealed the cause of Armani's death, but Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper reported Saturday he had been suffering from liver failure.

He was hospitalised with viral bronchopneumonia in June in Milan, it said, which left him weakened, even if he seemed to recover.

After his 91st birthday on July 11, which he celebrated with a small family party, long-standing problems with his liver returned, Corriere said.

He had kept working almost to the end, finalising outfits for the show celebrating the company's 50th anniversary at Milan Fashion Week at the end of the month – which will now act as his final farewell.

A mourner touches the coffin of late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani lying-in state for two days at the Armani Theatre in Milan, on September 6, 2025.
A mourner touches the coffin of late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani lying-in state for two days at the Armani Theatre in Milan, on September 6, 2025.  © Stefano Rellandini, AFP
 

'End of an era'

Born in Piacenza in northern Italy, the young Armani first enrolled in medical school but moved into fashion after a stint as a window dresser at a Milan department store.

By 1973, Armani had opened his own Milan design studio and created his debut eponymous collection in 1975.

The city, which adopted him as its own, has declared the day of his funeral a day of mourning, although the ceremony itself is strictly private.

Armani "represented our city", said Fanny Bucci, a 55-year-old local who visited the coffin on Saturday. "It's the end of an era."

The designer was credited with inventing red-carpet fashion after he opened an office in Los Angeles in 1983 with the aim of dressing celebrities, and said cinema provided him with a constant source of inspiration.

 

Crowds line up in Milan, northern Italy, Saturday, September 6, 2025, to pay their respects to late fashion designer Giorgio Armani.
Crowds line up in Milan, northern Italy, Saturday, September 6, 2025, to pay their respects to late fashion designer Giorgio Armani.  © Antonio Calanni, AP 

 

"He reinforced the image of Italian design. And I saw pictures of him as a child in China – he was the first Italian I knew," said Chinese student Jonah Liu, 29, wearing a t-shirt adorned with Armani's image. 

Armani had no children, and his death leaves a question mark over the future of his empire.

In his final interview published just days before his death, he namechecked Dell'Orco, who heads Armani's men's style office, among family and close friends to whom he was gradually transferring responsibility.

In their statement marking his death, his family and employees committed "to protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory".

The public viewing will last all day Saturday and all day Sunday at the Teatro, a former Nestle chocolate factory where Armani showcased his creations.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Source: France 24

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second