Icons salute an icon; inside the celebrity tributes to Giorgio Armani

New Delhi: Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who turned understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, has died at 91, his fashion house confirmed.

The news comes just as he was preparing a major celebration of 50 years of the Giorgio Armani label during Milan Fashion Week this month. 

Tributes from across fashion, film and public life poured in within hours.

Armani’s influence ran far beyond the runway. He reimagined the modern silhouette with relaxed jackets, muted palettes and precise tailoring that carried from office to evening. The “power suit” became a global shorthand for authority in the 1980s. 

His cinema breakthrough dressing Richard Gere in American Gigolo opened a lasting conversation between fashion and film that stretched from Hollywood premieres to awards season red carpets. 

Over five decades he built a universe of lines and experiences, Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, Armani Privé, Armani/Casa and a hospitality arm, while remaining one of the rare independent giants of luxury.

Grief and admiration defined the reaction.

Ralph Lauren said he had “the deepest respect and admiration” for a designer who never strayed from his vision and “lived with great humility,” adding that Armani created a world “with a foreverness that will be his legacy.” 

Anna Wintour called him a force of personality whose work you recognised instantly. She said he understood “power and attitude and elegance” and “never confined himself to one discipline,” leaving his mark on film, music, sport, art, design and architecture.

Actors, athletes and designers offered their own farewells. Julia Roberts posted “A true friend. A legend,” with a broken-heart emoji. Leonardo DiCaprio called him “a visionary whose influence reached far beyond design,” recalling being “blown away by his creativity and genius.” 

Donatella Versace said, “The world lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever.” 

Morgan Freeman remembered “a man whose genius touched many lives and whose legacy of grace and timeless style will endure.”

From sport to statecraft, the messages kept coming. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc wrote that it was “a great honour” to have worked with him. 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised his “elegance, sobriety and creativity,” calling him “a symbol of the best of Italy.” 

Victoria Beckham said the industry had lost “a true legend” and that she was honoured to have called him a friend.

Many tributes folded personal memories into public praise. Russell Crowe recalled being sent to the Armani store at Cannes in 1997 after his luggage was lost, “that began a love affair with Armani suits that continues to this day.” 

Samuel L. Jackson thanked him for “countless years of friendship, collaboration and dedication.” 

Valentino Garavani said he mourned “a friend, never a rival,” bowing to Armani’s “immense talent” and “unwavering loyalty to one style: his own.” 

Cindy Crawford called him “a true master of his craft.” 

Michelle Pfeiffer wrote that he was “kind, generous and loyal” and “a true pioneer of elegance.” 

Diane Kruger said he was “one of the nicest people and mentors” she had the luck to work with.

Armani’s legacy is also institutional. He kept his company independent while rivals consolidated into conglomerates, and he established the Giorgio Armani Foundation to protect that independence and guide the brand’s future. 

His devotion to Milan was constant, from cultural patronage to pandemic-era support for hospitals and protective supplies. 

The aesthetic never wavered, pared-back lines, disciplined colour, comfort without compromise, and that coherence turned a Milan atelier into a global business and a cultural language.

Plans for public farewell events in Milan are expected to be announced by the house. For the industry he helped define, the loss is personal.