Hundreds of admirers and VIPs have paid their respects to Giorgio Armani, who passed away Thursday at 91
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.
