Giorgio Armani’s Lasting Legacy: Zendaya, Beyoncé, and the Power of Elegance

Revered Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died. On September 4, 2025, the brand announced that its founder, Gianni Armani, had passed away at the age of 91, leaving behind one of the most enduring legacies in fashion history.

Armani was born in Piacenza, Italy, and founded his eponymous label in 1975, quickly reshaping the way the world thought about elegance. He was known for his gowns, which often leaned into opulence meets womanhood. But his work also stretched out even further, with his softly tailored suiting, subdued color palette, and minimalist lines, creating a vision of “quiet luxury” that defined professional and eveningwear for generations — years before it ever became a TikTok trend. Armani’s sleek power suits became a cultural symbol in the 1980s, giving women and men alike a new uniform of understated strength. (Never forget Julia Roberts' self-bought Armani suit from her 1990s Golden Globes red carpet look, that Ayo Adeberi recreated at last year’s awards).

Armani’s reach extended far beyond clothing, too. Over the decades, he built a lifestyle empire that spanned Emporio Armani and A|X Armani Exchange, as well as fragrances and cosmetics, home furnishings, restaurants, and even luxury hotels, proving to be a force not only in fashion and beauty but also in wellness and lifestyle. His careful expansion made Armani not just a fashion designer but a global cultural force.

He was also an early advocate for healthier standards within the fashion industry. In 2006, following the tragic anorexia-related death of a young model, Armani was the first major designer to ban models with a Body Mass Index under 18.

Armani’s designs have continued to resonate on the red carpet and stage. In 2024, Zendaya stunned at the Oscars in a pink-and-black Armani Privé gown embroidered with sparkling black palm trees, a look that blended old Hollywood elegance with modern flair. Beyoncé has also been a longtime Armani devotee, wearing his gowns consistently on stage and at premieres, while also serving as the face of one of his fragrances during her career.

With his clean lines, global vision, and human touch, Giorgio Armani transformed the language of fashion into one of timeless grace and expansive possibility. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most iconic Armani looks to show just how much his impact in the industry was felt.