Giorgio Armani and His Partner Lived and Worked Together for Years

We all know legendary Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, likely through the iconic Armani stores that have held a spot on mall directories for decades. Sadly, Giorgio passed away on Sept. 4, 2025, at the age of 91, surrounded by his loved ones. The Armani Group announced his passing in a statement shared to Instagram.

Despite his brand gracing the world’s most iconic runways and the backs of millions of people, Giorgio was very private, especially when it came to his love life. But thanks to the few times he opened up, we know a little bit about his romantic life, including the partner he leaves behind.

Giorgio Armani was long believed to have been romantically involved with Leo Dell'Orco, who also serves as the head of the men’s style office for the Armani Group. The two were often photographed together at various events, sometimes even holding hands. Still, many may not have realized Leo was more than just a colleague; after all, it’s not unusual for teams to share moments of affection, especially after something like a fashion show.

What confirmed that Giorgio and Leo were romantically involved comes from Giorgio’s past interviews. In an interview with Corriere della Sera (via Pink News), he said he had “a deep affection for Leo” and revealed the two had lived together for years. Giorgio considered Leo “the closest person to me.” While the designer sported a ring, he and Leo never officially married.

Although Giorgio revealed he was with Leo, it didn’t exactly define his sexuality. In a 2000 interview with Vanity Fair, he told the outlet, “I have had women in my life. And sometimes men,” and he even admitted to Corriere della Sera that he lost his virginity to a girl at school. He had conflicting feelings from a young age, including a crush on a male supervisor at summer camp.

In 1966, Giorgio met Sergio Galeotti at Forte dei Marmi, a seaside resort. Sergio, an architect, was 11 years younger than Giorgio, who was 32 at the time, according to his Vanity Fair interview. As they grew closer, Giorgio said he developed a feeling of wanting to care for Sergio, as he had for others in his life. Sergio eventually moved to Milan to work with him, and that’s when Giorgio recalled, “Suddenly it became a relationship of deep affection.”

While Giorgio didn’t exactly call it love, saying, “Love is too reductive a term,” he described the relationship as “a great complicity vis-à-vis life and the rest of the world.” Sadly, Sergio became gravely ill, and by 1985, he had died from an AIDS-related illness.

Sergio’s death hit Giorgio hard. He tried various ways to cope, but ultimately focused on his work to get through the loss.