Giorgio Armani remembered: Milan bids a tearful goodbye

Milan: Thousands of mourners gathered in Milan this weekend to honour Italian fashion legend Giorgio Armani, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 91. The designer’s coffin has been placed for public viewing at the Teatro Armani, the sleek headquarters he personally transformed from a former chocolate factory into the beating heart of his empire.

By early Saturday morning, crowds stretched outside Via Bergognone 59. Armani staff, dressed in solemn black, led the procession inside, where the coffin lay in a darkened room adorned with white flowers and glowing lanterns. “It’s so emotional,” said Silvia Albonetti, a saleswoman at Emporio Armani. “He was an incredible man — sometimes stern, but deeply human.”

Armani, hailed as the “King of Italian Style,” built a luxury empire that redefined red-carpet fashion and global elegance. From Hollywood stars to European royals, his timeless designs embodied understated sophistication. His passing comes just weeks before the planned 50th anniversary celebrations of his fashion house during Milan Fashion Week.

Born in Piacenza, Armani abandoned medical studies to pursue fashion, opening his design studio in 1973 and launching his first collection in 1975. Over the decades, he expanded his brand to haute couture, hotels, fragrances and even chocolates, while fiercely protecting the integrity of his vision.

Milan has declared Monday, the day of his private funeral, as a day of mourning. His family and colleagues have pledged to safeguard his legacy, vowing to “carry his company forward in his memory.”