Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani dead at 91

Italian luxury king Giorgio Armani, designer to the stars and leader of a high-end lifestyle empire, has died at the age of 91.

"The world lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever," fellow Italian icon Donatella Versace said on Instagram.

The best-known contemporary designer, Armani opened his fashion house in Milan in 1975, quickly rising to the top of the industry and going on to dress Hollywood.

His funeral on Monday will be private but well-wishers will be able to pay their respects at a memorial chamber open on Saturday and Sunday in Milan, his company said in a statement.

The group did not give a cause of death, but Armani missed some shows earlier this year due to unspecified health issues.

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

"Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days," it added, citing "many ongoing and future projects".

Hollywood stars paid gushing tribute: Julia Roberts said he was "A true friend. A legend"; Anne Hathaway called him "one of the emperors of Italian fashion"; and Claudia Cardinale lamented: "My heart is broken".

US actor Russell Crowe posted an anecdote on X about buying his first Armani suit for the Cannes film festival in 1997 after his bag was lost in transit.

"That began a love affair with Armani suits that continues to this day," he said.

The fashion world also mourned one of its most famous faces.

The head of French luxury group LVMH, Bernard Arnault, said Armani "gave Italian elegance a global reach and scale".

"He created a unique style, made of shadow and light, which he transformed into an entrepreneurial adventure crowned with success," he said.