Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, 91, died in Milan on Sept. 4. Known for his sleek, tailored and expensive clothing, Armani was one of the hot fashion leaders in the 1980s and ‘90s, though his line continues to sell well. After working at such designers as Marimekko, Cerruti, and others, Armani opened his own house in Milan in 1975. His clothes—primarily men’s suits at first—were quiet, sleek, and perfectly tailored ("well, for ready-to-wear," she sniffed). He spread his line’s fame through such films as American Gigolo and The Untouchables, and soon owning an Armani was a sign that you had Made It. Armani branched out into women’s clothes, scents, jewelry, jeans, and the slightly lower-rent A/X Armani Exchange line. Earlier this year, Armani said that “My greatest weakness is that I am in control of everything.” He added that “I have in fact created a lifestyle that I would define as a world of natural sophistication, in which nothing is over the top but everything finds a balance that, while whispered, is rich in personality.”
