ROME, Sept 4, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Italian luxury king Giorgio Armani, designer to the stars and leader of a high-end lifestyle empire, has died at the age of 91.

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

The best-known contemporary designer, Armani opened his fashion house in Milan in 1975, quickly rising to the top of the industry and going on to dress Hollywood.

His funeral on Monday will be private but well-wishers will be able to pay their respects at a memorial chamber open on Saturday and Sunday in Milan, his company said in a statement.

The group did not give a cause of death, but Armani missed some shows earlier this year due to unspecified health issues.

"Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones," the statement said.

"Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days," it added, citing "many ongoing and future projects".

Hollywood stars paid gushing tribute: Julia Roberts said he was "A true friend. A legend"; Anne Hathaway called him "one of the emperors of Italian fashion"; and Claudia Cardinale lamented: "My heart is broken".

US actor Russell Crowe posted an anecdote on X about buying his first Armani suit for the Cannes film festival in 1997 after his bag was lost in transit.

"That began a love affair with Armani suits that continues to this day," he said.

The fashion world also mourned one of its most famous faces.

The head of French luxury group LVMH, Bernard Arnault, said Armani "gave Italian elegance a global reach and scale".

"He created a unique style, made of shadow and light, which he transformed into an entrepreneurial adventure crowned with success," he said.

Illness

The Italian icon was credited with inventing red-carpet fashion, but also moved into a less expensive range aimed at a younger market through Emporio Armani, and opened luxury hotels.

Though a tireless driving force of his company des, Armani was forced to cancel his menswear show in Milan earlier this year due to health reasons.

He also missed the Paris Armani Prive show on doctors' orders.

"In 20 years of Armani Prive, it's the first time I'm not in Paris," he said in a statement sent to AFP in July.

"My doctors advised more rest, even though I felt ready."

He added that he had "followed and overseen every aspect of the show remotely", stressing: "I approved and signed off on everything you will see."

His death came just weeks before celebrations for 50 years of his eponymous label culminate at Milan Fashion Week, and raises the question of succession.

Gradual transition

In an interview published last week, Armani told the Financial Times he was planning on "a gradual transition of the responsibilities that I have always handled to those closest to me".

That includes "the members of my family and the entire working team", and specifically Leo Dell'Orco, head of men's design for the Armani group, he said.

Armani famously maintained an iron grip over his creative production, telling the Corriere della Sera newspaper last year he had no time for love, "except for my deep affection for Leo Dell'Orco, who has been living with me for years and is the person closest to me".

At the Armani/Silos exhibition space in Milan, stunned visitors said the city "has lost a piece of its history".

"What he did was incredible. He put his soul into it," 71-year-old resident Emanuela Ottolina told AFP.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Armani "inspired the whole world" and was a "symbol of Italy at its best".

He was also mourned by animal rights activists, with PETA noting his "bold decision" to ban fur that caused other brands to follow suit.

The official Giorgio Armani Instagram page posted a quote by the designer which read: "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."