• Giorgio Armani, the iconic Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, passed away on September 4. He was 91.

• Armani is one of the most recognisable names and faces in the global fashion industry.

• From the executive office to the Hollywood screen, Armani dressed the rich and famous in classic tailored styles, fashioned in supersoft fabrics and muted tones. 

• His handsome black tie outfits and glittering evening gowns often stole the show on award season red carpets.

The Rise of the Empire

• Born July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, a small town south of Milan, Armani dreamed of becoming a doctor before a part-time job as a window decorator in a Milan department store opened his eyes to the world of fashion.

• In 1975, Armani and his partner Sergio Galeotti sold their Volkswagen for $10,000 to start up their own menswear ready-to-wear label. Womenswear followed a year later.

• 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 1970s, creating an instantly recognisable relaxed silhouette that has propelled the fashion house for half a century.

• The designer paired the jacket with a simple T-shirt, an item of clothing he termed the alpha and omega of the fashion alphabet.

• Dubbed the power suit with its shoulder-padded jacket and man-tailored trousers, the Armani suit became the trademark of the rising class of businesswomen in the 1980s.

• The Hollywood connection earned him wardrobe film credits in over 200 films, and in 2003 a place on Rodeo Drive’s Walk of Style.

• Known as “Re Giorgio” (King Giorgio) in his native Italian, the designer famously oversaw every detail of his collection and all aspects of his business, from advertising to fixing models’ hair as they headed out onto the runway.

• He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week in September.

• At the time of his death, Armani had put together an empire worth over $10 billion, which along with clothing included accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers and even chocolates, ranking him in the world’s top 200 billionaires, according to Forbes.