Who is Giorgio Armani? Legacy of the Italian Legendary Designer
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer renowned worldwide for his exquisite clothing. His popularity is particularly great in the United States, where the name ‘Armani’ is associated with flair and sophistication.
Armani became a designer by coincidence; his original professional ambition was to be a doctor. He enrolled at the Department of Medicine at the University of Milan before dropping out to join the army. Following his release from the service, he worked as a window dresser in a department shop for seven years, learning everything he could about fashion design and marketing.
He began designing menswear and collaborated with various fashion firms, including Allegri, Hilton, Bagutta, and Sicons. He went on to start his own label, ‘Armani’, which quickly became one of the most recognizable brands in world fashion. His expanding success with luxury apparel pushed him to diversify into undergarments, swimwear, and accessories.
He has designed costumes for over 100 films, including “American Gigolo” and “The Untouchables,” which has helped him gain fame in Hollywood. His intense interest in sports inspired him to create England’s national football team uniforms. He is currently considered one of the world’s top fashion designers.
So who is Giorgio Armani? Here’s a crash course on Maestro Armani, from his impact on pop culture and celebrity fashion to his lifetime achievement awards and creative accomplishments.
Who is Giorgio Armani?
Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, to Ugo Armani, a transportation business accountant, and Maria Raimondi. He grew up alongside his older brother Sergio and younger sister Rosanna. Living in poverty during World War II, he was seriously injured when an unexploded artillery shell he was playing with detonated.
Armani aspired to a career in medicine while attending Milan’s Liceo Scientifico Leonardo da Vinci, particularly after reading A. J. Cronin’s The Citadel. He enrolled at the Medical Department at the University of Milan. He quit school in 1953, after three years, to join the army. Due to his medical credentials, he was posted to the Military Hospital in Verona, where he watched Arena concerts. He finally opted to pursue a new career route.
Giorgio Armani’s Career
Giorgio Armani is the designer most associated with reinventing tailoring and refining red carpet clothing for Hollywood’s biggest actors over the previous four decades.
Since Richard Gere wore soft gray Armani suits in the 1980 film American Gigolo, the Italian name has been coveted by celebrities for its exquisite designs. Today, pictures of the label’s ultra-relaxed and flowing shapes in subdued hues from that era continue to inspire the search for the ideal “power suit.” Ask any designer now who is attempting to duplicate that air of easy, effortless elegance, and you will almost certainly find Armani photos from previous years on their mood boards.
Despite recently celebrating his 90th birthday, the designer remains the sole shareholder of the Armani company, which means that the celebrated fashion force oversees an empire that includes Giorgio Armani, Giorgio Armani Privé, Emporio Armani, and Armani Exchange, as well as cosmetics and home decor lines, hotels, and hospitality ventures. And he has been doing so for the past 50 years, expanding his empire with each passing decade.
He Wanted to Be a Doctor
Armani had planned to pursue a completely different career before exploring design. Armani studied medicine and photography before joining the Italian army in 1953. It wasn’t until he was confined in an infirmary in Verona that he began to ponder an alternative plan. After leaving the army, he worked as a window dresser at La Rinascente, a prominent Milanese department store, before being employed as a sales associate in the menswear department.
A Friend Encouraged Him to Start His Own Label
Armani gained his stride after studying menswear design with Nino Cerruti. Armani founded his own men’s and women’s clothing line in 1975 with his friend and business partner Sergio Galeotti. Just one year later, in 1976, his designs were available at Barney’s New York. Galeotti, a major driving force behind the Armani machine, unfortunately died at the age of 40 in 1985.
Armani redefined the suit.
When budding star Richard Gere debuted in American Gigolo (1980) as Julian Kaye, dressed in soft-shouldered suits in shades of gray and beige, Armani became the trendiest brand in fashion. Ten years later, when Julia Roberts won her Golden Globes trophy at the 1990 event dressed in a charcoal two-piece designed by him, her iconic look promoted androgynous wearing for women everywhere.
Armani has stated about his approach, “I was the first to soften the image of men and harden the image of women.” I clothed males in women’s textiles and snatched from them what women desired and required—the power suit.”
Armani Is A Red Carpet Good Luck Charm
There is rarely an awards event that does not include Armani-clad celebrities. In fact, there is a significant likelihood that victors at an awards ceremony will be dressed in Italian attire. The Los Angeles Times once analyzed the figures and discovered that between 1996 and 2017, Armani dressed 38% of the lead actor winners and 33% of the supporting actor winners at the Oscars. Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett, Viola Davis, Renée Zellweger, and Michelle Yeoh have all worn Armani to accept Oscars.
Armani debuted couture in 2005.
Never one to rest, Armani added a new string to his bow in 2005. At 70 years old and 30 years into his illustrious career, the designer ventured into the couture world and founded Armani Privé. Through a collaboration with MSN, the Armani Privé spring/summer 2007 presentation was the first couture event to broadcast on cellular phones.
Armani Is an Award-Winning Designer
The designer’s services to his home country have been honored by the Italian government on multiple occasions, including the coveted Grand Knight of the Republic award in 1987.
Armani also has two prizes from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the French Legion d’Honneur, honorary doctorates and degrees from the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins in London, as well as the Accademia di Brera in Milan, and a Rodeo Drive Walk of Style star.
Armani is an avid sports fan.
Armani was a sports enthusiast. He was an Inter Milan supporter and the head of the Olimpia Milano basketball team. Twice, he created uniforms for the England national football team. Since August 2007, he has been designing outfits for Chelsea players in London.
He created Italy’s Olympic uniforms for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, as well as the costumes worn by the flag bearers during the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Additionally, Armani created and unveiled the EA7 line, a brand modeled by Ukrainian football player Andriy Shevchenko, who was wearing the number 7 shirt while playing for A.C. Milan at the time. In terms of sports, Armani created the jerseys for the Italian Olympic and Paralympic teams and owned the basketball franchise Olimpia Milano.
Armani was hired by Chelsea to design a new style for the Directors’ Suite at Stamford Bridge. Armani signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Scuderia Ferrari as an official supplier starting in 2021. In exchange for brand visibility and affiliation with the most well-known motorsport team and brand in the world, Armani gave team members official and travel attire.
He celebrated his 90th birthday in New York.
Mr. Armani held a lavish, one-time party in Manhattan in late 2024 to commemorate a triple-whammy of accomplishments. Coinciding with the reopening of his New York flagship, his 90th birthday, and the brand’s 50th anniversary, the designer transformed the Park Avenue Armory into a spectacular party to unveil the Spring Summer 2025 collection. Amanda Seyfried, Pamela Anderson, Brie Larson, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were among those who came out to support him.
Personal life and death
Despite being a very private man, Armani admitted to having relationships with both men and women in an interview with Vanity Fair. He was personally close to his business partner, Sergio Galeotti, a fashion designer, architect, and businessman who passed away in 1985 from problems related to AIDS. Armani said that Galeotti gave him the confidence to go after the company.
Regarding Galeotti, Armani remarked in 2015, “I always bring his photo with me when I travel.” Something is left. His soul remains. Definitely. He endures. Sergio is everywhere, and I do not doubt that he notices me. And I hope that he is aware of anything I have done.” Armani called his failure to stop Galeotti’s death his biggest professional setback.
Armani enjoyed sailing and spent a lot of time on his yacht, according to his relatives. At the age of 91, Armani passed away in his Milanese residence on September 4, 2025.
Net Worth
Forbes calculated his net worth to be $12.1 billion at the time of his passing.
Social Media
X: @armani
