Remembering Giorgio Armani: A Life in Elegance
“The mark I hope to leave is one of commitment, respect and genuine care for people and for reality. That’s where everything truly begins.”
– Giorgio Armani, 1934 - 2025
With profound sorrow, the fashion world bids farewell to Giorgio Armani, who passed away peacefully on September 4, 2025, in Milan, aged 91. Known with affection and reverence as Il Signor Armani, he remained dedicated to his work until his final days, shaping not only a fashion house but a philosophy rooted in discipline, clarity, and care.
Image: David Lees/Getty Images
Armani was an architect of elegance. His pared-back silhouettes, muted palettes, and mastery of tailoring spoke of restraint and refinement, offering an antidote to excess. Over fifty years, he built a world that extended beyond the catwalk into interiors, film, and fragrance, all guided by the same sense of harmony. He was tireless in his curiosity and deeply committed to Milan, the city he loved and supported throughout his career. His legacy is one of independence: of thought, of style, of action.
In keeping with his wishes, Armani’s funeral will be private, though the public will have the chance to pay their respects at the funeral chamber inside the Armani/Teatro in Milan on September 6–7.
Custom made dress, as worn by Demi Moore at the 2025 Golden Globes. Image: SGP
For those wishing to celebrate his vision, current and upcoming exhibitions offer a rare opportunity to experience Armani’s artistry firsthand. The Giorgio Armani Privé exhibition, - curated by Armani himself - is on until the 28 December 2025. It spreads across four floors of the Armani/Silos museum, bringing together two decades of haute couture. Here, dresses appear as if woven from light and imagination, each detail crafted with jewel-like precision.
Later this month, during Milan Fashion Week, the Pinacoteca di Brera will open its historic halls to fashion for the first time with Brera: Fashion Among Masterpieces. In light of the recent news about Armani's passing, there appears to be little information currently available about the show. However, it is set to run from 24 September to 24 October 2025, showcasing 150 looks alongside the museum’s extraordinary art collection. Keep an eye on Pinoteca's website for further news. On 28 September, Armani’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection will be unveiled in the courtyard of Palazzo Brera, fusing his archive with the present moment in a gesture of continuity.
Armani Archive X-Ray, Giacca Ricamata.
Armani’s legacy also finds a home online and in the forthcoming Armani/Archivio, a living resource of five decades of design. Unlike a static museum, it invites dialogue — garments reintroduced into boutiques worldwide remind us that fashion is not fixed in glass cases but lives, moves, and adapts with us.
Through fabric, form, and philosophy, Giorgio Armani gave the world a language of elegance that will endure. To celebrate this, we hope you enjoy the following article from Selvedge Issue 5, Utility:
Renaissance Style: Can the British Learn from the Masters?
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Further Information:
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Image Credits:
Lead: Giorgio Armani. Photo: X/@arman
All other images as credited in photo captions.