Fashion designer Giorgio Armani dead at 91

MILAN AP Giorgio Armani the Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire has died his fashion house validated He was Armani died at home the fashion house reported Armani one of the the greater part recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry missed Milan Fashion Week in June for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition He was planning a major event to celebrate years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month Starting with an unlined jacket a simple pair of pants and an urban palette Armani put Italian ready-to-wear style on the international fashion map in the late s creating an instantly recognizable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century From the executive office to the Hollywood screen Armani dressed the rich and famous in classic tailored styles fashioned in super-soft fabrics and muted tones His handsome black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets At the time of his death Armani had put together an empire worth over billion which along with clothing included accessories home furnishings perfumes cosmetics books flowers and even chocolates ranking him in the world s top billionaires according to Forbes The designer also owned several bars clubs restaurants and his own basketball company EA Emporio Armani Milan better known as Olympia Milano Armani opened more than than restaurants from Milan to Tokyo since and two hotels one in Dubai in and another in Milan in Armani himself was the foundation of his style Armani style began with Giorgio Armani himself from the penetrating blue eyes framed in a permanent tan and early-age shock of silver hair to the trademark jeans and t-shirt work clothes and the minimalist decoration of his private homes Armani s fashion vision was that of easygoing elegance where attention to detail made the difference I design for real people There is no virtue whatsoever in creating clothes and accessories that are not practical he liked to say when required to identify his clientele In conversation the designer s disarming smile and exquisitely mild manners belied the tough businessman underneath who was able to turn creative talent into a fashion empire worth over billion Never a merger nor a sale Re Giorgio King George as the Italians call him was inevitably his own boss Born July in Piacenza a small town south of Milan Armani dreamed of becoming a specialist before a part-time job as a window decorator in a Milan department store opened his eyes to the world of fashion In Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for to start up their own menswear ready-to-wear label Womenswear followed a year later The symbol of his new style was the liningless sports jacket which was launched in the late s and became an instant success from Hollywood to Wall Street The designer paired the jacket with a simple t-shirt an item of clothing he termed the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet The Armani suit soon became a must in the closet of the well-heeled man And for women the introduction of the pantsuit in the executive workroom was all but revolutionary Dubbed the power suit with its shoulder-padded jacket and man-tailored trousers it became the trademark of the rising class of businesswomen in the s Over the years Armani would soften the look with delicate detailing luxurious fabrics and brighter shades for his basic beige and gray palette His insistence on pants and jackets led selected critics to label his fashion androgynous Armani hits Hollywood The film classic American Gigolo launched both Armani and actor Richard Gere on their Hollywood careers Dressed in Armani Gere became America s new favorite heart throb and Geeorgeeo as they called him the glam set s the majority popular designer The Hollywood connection earned him wardrobe film credits in over films and in a place on Rodeo Drive s Walk of Fame Oscar night constantly sparkled with smart suiting for the men and glittering gowns for the ladies The best actor winner Sean Penn picked up his statue in a black-on-black Armani outfit while best actress nominee Anne Hathaway walked the red carpet in a shimmering white strapless evening gown from Armani s latest Prive couture collection Other longtime devotees included Jodie Foster George Clooney Sofia Loren and Brad Pitt David and Victoria Beckham were the face of his underwear ad campaign So critical was the impact of Armani style not only on how people dressed but how they approached fashion that in New York s Guggenheim museum presented a retrospective of Armani s first years in fashion I love things that age well things that don t date and become living examples of the absolute best Armani commented of his efforts Armani has gone well beyond fashion At present the Armani empire has an army of more than employees with women comprising half of the executive suite along with seven industrial hubs and over stores worldwide according to figures disclosed in Along with clothes and accessories the company produces perfumes cosmetics and home furnishings as well as selling its own candy flowers and even books The designer opened his fifth multi-brand store on New York s fashionable Fifth Avenue in February In the realm of fashion hobbies Armani owned several bars restaurants and clubs as well as the basketball gang Recreation time was spent in getaways in Broni in the countryside near Milan the isle of Pantelleria off Sicily and St Tropez on the French Riviera Each home bore the trademark of Armani design bare walls critical pieces sparse knickknacks Like a large number of of his colleagues Armani tried to give back particular of the fame and fortune he amassed during the heyday of the moda Milanese which put Italian ready-to-wear at the center of the world s fashion map at the turn of the millennium Personally involved in several charity organizations devoted to children and a staunch supporter of the battle against AIDS in Armani was named a U N goodwill ambassador for refugees Galeotti died in Armani had no children but was very close to his niece Roberta daughter of his late brother Sergio She abandoned a budding film career to become his director of populace relations and often represented her uncle who wasn t much of a party-goer at social events In later years she was a key go-between with the celebrity world In she orchestrated the top-billed wedding of actors Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes in a medieval castle outside Rome while Uncle Giorgio designed the attire for both bride and groom Armani had indicated that as he considered succession he was looking toward his longtime head of menswear Leo Dell Orco and his niece Silvana Armani who fills the same role for womenswear