Hundreds of ordinary mourners and VIPs pay last respects to Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani

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MILAN (AP) — Hundreds of ordinary admirers and VIPs paid their last respects Saturday to Giorgio Armani, remembered by Milan’s mayor as a “man of extraordinary elegance” who left an indelible mark on the city and the global fashion world.

Armani died Thursday at 91 at his home in central Milan surrounded by loved ones. His fashion house said he worked up to the end. One of his final projects was a runway show marking 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani brand, which is due to close Milan Fashion Week later this month.

Mourners filed into the Armani Theater, where Armani regularly showed his ready-to-wear runway collections. Rows of candles in paper bags cast a shimmering light and piano music by Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi played softly in the background. The closed coffin was adorned with a bouquet of long-stem white roses, and flanked by carabinieri honor guards in ceremonial dress.

Among them was including Donatella Versace, who wore a dark skirt suit and carried a bouquet of white flowers, which she left in tribute. She left without making any remarks.

A sculpture featuring a crucifix on a raw block of marble stood nearby, brought from Armani's bedside.

Armani, who was deeply private, was not known to be a practicing Catholic, but a priest who emerged from his central Milan home after his death told reporters that he attended Mass daily.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala was among the first to arrive, offering condolences to Leo Dell’Orco, Armani’s longtime collaborator and the head of menswear, who stood near the coffin.

“A man of extraordinary elegance,’’ Sala told reporters outside. “Milan is full of signs of Armani. It will be impossible to forget him.”

Sala remembered a phone call from Armani in early August, when news of a corruption scandal in the city broke.

“He said, ‘I understand this is a difficult moment. There is always something positive in difficult moments. True friends show themselves. I am your true friend.' This I will always remember,’’ Sala said.

Annamaria Longo Dorni traveled more than two hours from Lago Maggiore, north of Milan, to pay her last respects wearing an Armani midnight blue jacket for the occasion.

“You put it on, and you’re perfect,’’ she said in tribute. “It’s always up to date, even after 20 years.’’

Two hours after the doors opened, the line of mourners stretched down the block.

The public viewing will continue through Sunday. Armani will be buried following a private funeral.

Milan is home to numerous Armani landmarks, including his theater and the Armani/Silos museum — an exhibition space in the heart of the city’s design district — as well as his residence and historic offices in the city center, and his flagship stores and hotel.

He was also a major supporter of cultural institutions, like Milan's Teatro alla Scala, and owned the Olympia Milan basketball team.

A prominent permanent Emporio Armani billboard greets passengers arriving at Milan's Linate Airport, and the brand has long occupied a permanent billboard in the Brera district of the city, emblematic of Armani's game-changing approach to communications.

Armani, one of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry, missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition.

Condolences have poured in from friends and admirers around the world, including Ralph Lauren, Julia Roberts, Anna Wintour and Leonardo DiCaprio.

Armani prepared a final farewell for mourners. A photo of the designer smiling and waving was projected on the back wall of the viewing chamber with the parting words: “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.”