Remembering queer fashion legend Giorgio Armani with 5 of his most iconic looks
The queer Italian designer has passed away at 91.
Mark
It’s a sad day in the world of fashion as queer Italian designer and style powerhouse, Giorgio Armani, has passed away at 91.
The Milan fashion house broke the news with a heartfelt post on Thursday, writing, “Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones.”
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“Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects,” the note continued, adding that the group is now committed to “protecting what he built and to carrying his company forward in his memory, with respect, responsibility, and love.”
While Armani may have been a household name since the early ’80s, he was immensely private about his sexuality for most of his life.
In 2000, he told Vanity Fair that he “had women in my life. And sometimes men,” before confirming a decades-long relationship with his business partner, architect Sergio Galeotti, in a candid 2024 interview with Corrier della Sera.
When Galeotti passed away from complications due to AIDS in 1985, Armani felt shattered. “When Sergio died, a part of me died with him,” he explained. “I must say I’m still amazed that I found within myself the resilience to withstand such an immense pain.”
Before his passing, Armani was attached to Leo Dell’Orco, the brand’s Head of the Men’s Style Office. While they were not legally married, he wore a ring from Dell’Orco on his left hand, and referred to him as “the person closest to me.”
That said, Armani’s decades-long impact was bigger than his sexuality.
From pioneering red-carpet style as we know it to popularizing the suit and encouraging healthier standards for models, his loss will be felt throughout the world.
In Armani’s memory, we’re taking a look back at 5 of his most iconic looks.
1. Lady Gaga at the 2010 Grammys
Armani’s flair for style (and sparkles) was omnipresent at the 2010 Grammy Awards, where the designer worked with Lady Gaga on her imaginative red-carpet look and a fairy-winged bodysuit for her show-stopping medley performance.
“The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist,” Gaga said at the time. Of course, this was only the start of their collaboration; Armani crafted many custom fits for Gaga over the years, including costumes for her Monster Ball and a custom gown for her jazzy Tony Bennett tribute at the 2022 Grammys.
2. Grace Jones on Nightclubbing
A single suit solidified both Armani and Grace Jones’ legacies, thanks to the groundbreaking cover of the singer’s 1981 album Nightclubbing. The extremely squared shoulders and intense stare, captured by photographer Jean-Paul Goude, have become synonymous with fearless fashion and subversive beauty.
3. Richard Gere in American Gigolo
There’s something about a handsome man in a suit, and Armani knew it. In his costume work for 1980’s American Gigolo, he dressed Richard Gere in unstructured suits with loose tailoring, not only predicting a shift in style but making the actor look dang good.
Later, Armani credited the film’s success for helping propel him to icon status, telling The Economist that it gave him “a sudden positive notoriety.”
4. Jodie Foster at the 1992 Academy Awards
Jodie Foster was one of Armani’s earliest celebrity muses. And while his work with the queer actress has spanned decades, one of their most memorable collaborations was one of their earliest: a “trouser suit” for the 1992 Academy Awards, where Foster won Best Actress for The Silence of the Lambs.
In 2018, Armani reflected on the outfit, which he recalled as “leaving everyone else in the dust with their trains and big ribbons.” As he told The Guardian, “The most glittering moments in my career as a designer for the most important indelible store of memories, just like any successful fashion show.”
5. Julia Roberts at the 1990 Golden Globes
It turns out, a well-fitting suit looks hot on both men and women.
Julia Roberts turned to Armani time and time again for stunning award show dresses, though none have been quite as memorable as when she ditched the gown for an off-the-rack suit at the 1990 Golden Globes.
The evening was especially important to the Steel Magnolias actress, who won Best Supporting Actress in a Drama, Musical, Comedy, and later told Vanity Fair it’s one of her “all-time favorite outfits.” (And yes, she still owns it. Thank God!)
Check out tributes to Giorgio Armani from Julia Roberts, Donatella Versace, and others below…
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