Rome, 4 September 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died at 91, the fashion house said in a post on social media on Thursday.

He was working up until his final days and died surrounded by his loved ones, his company said. A cause of death was not immediately available.

For health reasons, he had been unable to attend the major shows in Milan and Paris for the first time in June and July. But he was planning a comeback for September, as he had announced on his 91st birthday on July 11 through large ads in Italian newspapers.

Condolences poured in shortly after the news broke.

"The world has lost a giant today," fellow Italian designer Donatella Versace wrote on Instagram. "He made history and will be remembered forever."

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also commented: "With his elegance, humility and creativity, he brought fame to Italian fashion and inspired the entire world. An icon, a tireless worker, a symbol of a better Italy. Thank you for everything."

A top designer

Armani was one of the most influential fashion designers in the world.

Born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, northern Italy, his family moved to Milan after World War II. After graduating from high school, he began studying medicine, but dropped out after two years.

Known as the "Principe della Moda" (Prince of Fashion), he came from the small town of Piacenza, the second child of a housewife and a freight forwarder.

Armani's mother attached great importance to clothing, even during the war years. But his grandfather, who earned his living as a make-up artist and wig maker at the municipal theatre, probably had a greater influence on his fashion sense in his younger years.

Last year, Armani mooted the idea of retirement - telling Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera he planned to head his company for a couple more years.

His creations, often described as casual and simple yet elegant, have been sported on many a red carpet, including by Hollywood starts Richard Gere, Kevin Costner, Nicole Kidman and Cate Blanchett.

He was famed for his minimalist menswear designs in muted colours and his name has long been synonymous with classic women's fashion. He dressed the stars in elegant, one-of-a-kind creations, but also sold perfume and jeans.

Beginnings in the 1960s

Armani ventured into the world of fashion in the 1960s as a window dresser and buyer for the Italian department store chain La Rinascente.

He delivered his first designs at the company of Italy's old master Nino Cerruti (1930-2022). He was never formally trained in his profession.

In the 1980s, Armani became known as having reinvented the men's jacket. He took the stiffness out of suit fabrics, making garments softer, more fluid and more casual.

His second revolution was matching T-shirts with suits.

Unlike many leaders in the industry, Armani was never at home in Paris, but always in Milan, owning several buildings on Via Borgonuovo.

He showed new collections in the basement of his home, staging these four times a year in Milan, twice for men's fashion, twice for women's fashion, and twice a year in Paris.

Boss since 1985

One key factor in his success was his partnership with his Italian compatriot Sergio Galeotti. Together, they founded the Giorgio Armani SpA group in 1975.

Galeotti was responsible for financial matters until his untimely death in 1985. Since the death of his partner, Armani has been solely in charge of the fashion empire.

With an estimated fortune of more than €11 billion ($12.8 billion), he made it onto the Forbes list of the richest people in the world.

He never floated his company on the stock market and rejected all takeover bids.

Today, the Armani Group has 8,700 employees around the globe, more than 2,000 shops, often in prime locations, and a dozen factories.

Photo: dpa