Remembering Giorgio Armani: The visionary behind the power suit and relaxed elegance

Iconic Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, celebrated worldwide for his luxurious, minimalist aesthetic designs and innovations, passed away at the age of 91.

"With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder, and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani," the brand said in a social media post.

"Il Signor Armani, as he was always respectfully and admiringly called by employees and collaborators, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones," the company said.

Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections, and the many ongoing and future projects, according to the company.

Born July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy, he initially wanted to be in the medical profession, but shifted to fashion in the late 1950s.

He began as a buyer and window dresser at La Rinascente.

He founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A., commonly known as Armani, in 1975 and released his first ready-to-wear collections for men and women.

Giorgio Armani is known for reimagining the suit, introducing relaxed elegance and soft tailoring for men. He is also credited with empowering women with the power suit.

Armani built a house synonymous with timeless Italian elegance and enduring style, wrote Vogue's Laura Ingham, in her tribute.

The company said over the years, Armani has crafted a vision that expanded from fashion to every aspect of life, anticipating the times with extraordinary clarity and pragmatism. He has been driven by relentless curiosity and a deep attention to the present and to people, it added.

Along this journey, he established an open dialogue with the public, becoming a beloved and respected figure for his ability to connect with everyone, it said.

"He put women into a uniform of suits just as radical as Chanel's, creating forceful, confident clothing that helped to power the working woman's social revolution of the 1980s. By contrast, he relaxed menswear, deconstructing traditional tailoring in a manner that has affected how just about every suit in the world is made," Alexander Fury wrote in a profile of the iconic fashion designer in The Financial Times.