A chapel of rest, hundreds of people present, a city in mourning... Milan pays tribute to "king" Giorgio Armani, who died Thursday at the age of 91.

Milan pays tribute to "king" Giorgio Armani, whose body has been lying in state since Saturday morning at the Armani Teatro, a place emblematic of the close relationship between the designer and the Lombard capital.

Hundreds of people lined up Saturday morning to pay their respects at the light-colored wooden coffin of the legendary designer, who died Thursday at the age of 91, and whose death sent shockwaves through the fashion world and beyond.

Wearing dark suits and sunglasses, around a hundred of the group's employees were on the front line near Armani's headquarters in a former industrial district of Milan, ahead of the funeral planned for Monday, September 8.

Imposing wreaths of white roses were placed at the entrance to the room where the coffin lies, near books of condolence where sympathizers can write a message.

According to the Italian daily Corriere della Sera , Armani died of sudden liver failure, following pneumonia that forced him to be hospitalized in June.

"He was an incredible man, he had a big impact on us. He was a role model, severe, sometimes harsh, but very human," commented a saddened Silvia Albonetti, a saleswoman in the nearby Emporio Armani men's showroom. "Many customers wrote to us to pay tribute to him."

"He taught us a lot with his way of working. A chapter is closing," said another saleswoman, Barbara Gersony, alongside him. "We'll see about the future, according to his last wishes."

"A great man"

The chapel of rest will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Teatro, a former Nestlé chocolate factory transformed in 2001 by Japanese architect Tadao Ando to become the headquarters of the Armani group and the venue for its fashion shows.

Minimalist and elegant, the building is one of the emblematic places of Milan, "the capital of style".

Armani, at the head of a multi-billion euro luxury empire with more than 600 boutiques worldwide and more than 9,000 employees by the end of 2023, had a " love affair" with the city, according to all the headlines in the Italian press, repeating one of his statements: "Milan is the center of my world, it has always inspired me."

"Without him, Olimpia would be in a bad state," commented Roberto Gualdoni, 51, wearing a Milan basketball team T-shirt owned by an Armani sports fan. "He was a great man in Milan, he did a lot of good."

"He was special, very human, he always came to greet us," added photographer Lazza Ramo, 37, in the queue.

The native of Piacenza (northern Italy), born in 1934 into a modest family of Armenian origin, came to study medicine before working as a window dresser-decorator in Milan for the La Rinascente department store.

It was in this city that he created the Giorgio Armani fashion house in 1975, and had always wanted to remain independent, refusing to be listed on the stock exchange.

"The city will miss him."

The links between the city and the designer, often nicknamed "Il Re Giorgio" ("King Giorgio") in the Italian press, have never been denied.

During the Covid pandemic in 2020, which severely affected the city, he had a black and white poster posted on a street in Milan: "I am here, for Milan, with the Milanese, with my affection."

Giorgio Armani, who has been weakened for several months, was forced to cancel his men's fashion shows in Milan in mid-June due to health reasons. He also skipped the Armani Privé show in Paris in July.

In an interview with the Financial Times published a few days before his death, the designer, who had no children, said that plans for his succession consisted of "a gradual transition of responsibilities" to his "closest collaborators such as Leo Dell'Orco" , the head of men's design, "members of (his) family and the entire work team".

A visionary designer, Armani distinguished himself in haute couture, ready-to-wear, accessories, perfumes, jewelry, but also interior design and luxury hotels.