Couturier and designer Giorgio Armani has passed away

The fashion world is in mourning: Giorgio Armani has died at the age of 92. According to the designer's press service, Armani passed away peacefully - at home, surrounded by loved ones. He remained tireless until his last days: he was preparing a show for the brand's fiftieth anniversary, having only recently encountered an illness. However, Giorgio Armani is known not only as a couturier, but also as a great yachting enthusiast.

Brief biography and foundation of the Giorgio Armani brand 

Born in 1934 near Milan, Armani began his career in medicine, but fate led him to the windows of the department store La Rinascente, where he became a sign designer. It was here that Giorgio mastered the basics of style and design. 

After his first steps at La Rinascente, the young Armani went freelance: he worked with Cerruti, Allegri, Bagutta, Hilton and Montedoro. Then he met Sergio Galeotti, an architect who convinced him to open his own design studio in Milan.

In 1975, the company Giorgio Armani SpA was founded, and four years later the company expanded into a corporation in the USA. Since then, the name Armani has become a global brand. Today, the company operates in several areas at once: clothing and underwear, accessories, cosmetics and perfume. All products of the brand have the same recognizable style of minimalism and restrained elegance.

Passion for yachts and yachting

Giorgio has spoken about one of his main hobbies in numerous interviews; his passion for yachting was no secret. Like many successful people, Armani eventually wanted to have his own yacht. After many years spent as a guest on other people's boats, the idea of his own became a logical step for him. He often admitted that other people's yachts rarely matched his taste: "They [yachts] are all too white, too much light, marble, crystal and mahogany."

Armani has always remained a private person and did not like unnecessary attention. According to him, this is why he did not like hotels. They seemed too ostentatious to him, both in their atmosphere and decor. Giorgio said: "Large yachts often resemble hotel rooms on the water. So my own boat seemed the ideal solution."

For Armani, the yacht became a way to isolate himself, just like his home on the island of Pantelleria. But this solitude was not only physical. “I isolate myself in worlds that I create from what I love. Anything that I don’t like, I remove. It’s important to be able to create the right atmosphere around you.”

Can't find your dream yacht? Build it!

In the early 2000s, Armani finally became convinced that yacht charters could not satisfy his taste. The designer’s personal assistant recalled in 2002 an incident when they arrived at a chartered boat and discovered that its upholstery had been done by another famous designer. 

Armani smiled at this, but for a man who had built a career on his impeccable sense of style, it was emblematic of the main problem: on a charter, you never fully control the atmosphere. In 2003, Armani launched his large yacht, Mariù, built at Codecasa. Here, for the first time, Armani took personal control of the interior, carefully planning the furniture and decor. But the longer he lived on board, the more he realized he had to go further.

Motor yacht Mariù is Giorgio Armani's first personal superyacht

This is how Maìn came into being, the next yacht, created entirely according to his design. Armani worked on everything, from the lines of the hull to the details of the interior. He wanted to combine the comfort of a real home with the aesthetics of the sea. Maìn not only had spacious areas for relaxing and dining on deck, but also homely, cozy private spaces where guests could feel as natural as possible.

Passion for yachting as one of the meanings of life

Armani not only designed yachts for himself, but was also closely involved with the yachting world in general. His company sponsored the prestigious Giorgio Armani Superyacht Regatta in collaboration with the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, and he himself owned several yachts. 

His yachts include not only motor giants, but also sailboats, including relatively small sailing yachts, less than 24 meters long. In an interview with BOAT International, he admitted: "I designed Main myself completely - from the hull to the interiors. This yacht became the quintessence of everything that is important to me at sea, and at the same time I introduced the concept of a house on the water."

Motor Maìn by Giorgio Armani

In his later years, Armani took a step further and delved into the world of superyacht design. Together with Admiral, a brand of The Italian Sea Group, he launched the Metamorphosis project. The first yacht in the series, 72 meters long, found an owner last year and is due to be presented at the Monaco Yacht Show this season. Geometric lines, unusual shapes and a satin gold hue have become the calling card of this yacht – and a reflection of Armani’s innovative approach, who has managed to bring his own vision of style and luxury even to yachting.

New video on Interparus channel

We tuned the yacht… and went to test it! As a result, we spent almost a month under the sails of the new yacht under the GARNA brand — and we are in a hurry to share our honest impressions. Enjoy watching!

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06.09.2025