Fashion icon Giorgio Armani died on September 4, 2025, at the age of 91. Just weeks before his passing, the Armani Group was fined 3.5 million Euros ( USD 4 million) by Italy's antitrust regulator for making misleading sustainability statements.
The Controversy
According to Reuters, the regulator said in a statement that Giorgio Armani group and one of its subsidiaries "issued misleading ethical and social responsibility statements in contrast with the actual working conditions found at suppliers and subcontractors".
Reportedly, despite Armani's marketing emphasis on sustainability, the fashion house outsourced most of its bag and leather accessory production to third-party suppliers. These suppliers, in turn, subcontracted to other producers that employed workers illegally and in poor conditions, according to the statement.
The Giorgio Armani group denied the claims and expressed "disappointment and bitterness" at the regulator's decision. In a statement to Reuters, they said, "(The group) always operated with the utmost fairness and transparency towards consumers, the market, and stakeholders, as demonstrated by the Group's history."
However, the Italian Competition Authority shared that the statements made by the company were "untruthful and presented in a manner that was unclear, unspecific, inaccurate, and equivocal."
Reportedly, the Giorgio Armani group said that they would appeal the decision before an Italian regional administrative court.
About Giorgio Armani
At the time of his death, Giorgio Armani had built a vast empire worth over USD 10 billion, encompassing not only clothing but also accessories, home furnishings, perfumes, cosmetics, books, flowers and chocolates. Notably, the designer expanded his retail footprint with the opening of his fifth multi-brand store on New York's prestigious Fifth Avenue in February 2009.
Beyond fashion, Giorgio Armani also owned multiple bars, clubs, and restaurants, as well as the EA7 Emporio Armani Milan basketball team. He also launched over 20 restaurants globally, from Milan to Tokyo, starting in 1998, and opened two hotels: one in Dubai (2009) and another in Milan (2010). This impressive portfolio ranked him among the world's top 200 billionaires, as per Forbes.
Talking about the succession of Giorgio Armani's estate, the fashion designer didn't have children of his own, but he was particularly close to his niece Roberta, the daughter of his late brother Sergio. Armani also considered his longtime associates: Leo Dell'Orco, head of menswear, and his niece Silvana Armani, who oversees womenswear, as his successors.