NEED TO KNOW

  • Giorgio Armani, fashion icon and founder of the Armani Group, has died at 91
  • Princess Diana was wearing Armani the day she died, highlighting their little-known connection
  • Armani had been working on a gown for Diana that she never got to wear

The death of Giorgio Armani at 91 marks the end of an era in fashion. It also brings renewed attention to one of his most poignant, little-known ties to Princess Diana.

Known for redefining modern elegance, Armani dressed countless Hollywood stars and royals alike. But among his notable legacies is a quiet connection to Diana — one that connects the beloved royal to the designer on the very last day of her life.

On August 31, 1997, Diana was photographed in Paris wearing a blazer by Armani, a look that exemplified her polished, pared-back style in the years after her divorce from then-Prince Charles. The piece was part of a growing relationship between Diana and the fashion house.

Armani himself later revealed that he had been working on a dress for the princess for an engagement she had planned to attend that fall — a design she would never have the chance to wear.

Armani reflected at the time on Diana’s evolving style, noting to WWD that she had “found that style of her own, strictly controlling any temptation to overdo things, and favoring clean, modern lines that set off her great face and figure in a very up-to-date way.”

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Princess Diana walks through a minefield in Angola on January 15, 1997. ; Princess Diana in St Tropez in the summer of 1997. ; Princess Diana at the Tate Gallery on July 1, 1997 to celebrate her birthday. ; Princess Diana on her visit to Bosnia on August 10, 1997.

John Stillwell – PA Images/PA Images/Getty ; Michel Dufour/WireImage ; Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty ; Kent Gavin/Mirrorpix/Getty

The designer added, “That’s what I was trying to emphasize with the dress I just did for her. It’s worth noting that she chose the design herself, the simplest one in the group of sketches I sent her.”

While Diana famously championed British labels such as Catherine Walker, she also turned to Italian and French houses like Versace, Dior and Armani, especially in the ’90s. Armani’s sleek tailoring and unfussy silhouettes dovetailed with Diana’s new chapter as an independent woman and global humanitarian.