Giorgio Armani, the legendary fashion designer, passed away on September 4 at the age of 91. By his side until the very end was his partner, Leo Dell’Orco.
The couple first met when Dell’Orco was just 24, crossing paths with Armani while walking his dog in a park in Milan.
Their romance — between Armani and his 18-years-younger boyfriend – brought a bright, loving chapter to the fashion icon’s life, especially after he had tragically lost his longtime partner years earlier.
Pantaleo “Leo” Dell’Orco
Even though he was in his nineties, Giorgio Armani’s death came as a shock to many. Few people haven’t heard his name, so deeply tied to fashion, tailored suits, perfumes, and timeless elegance.
Over the past five decades, Armani built one of the world’s most iconic fashion brands. Now, his passing has also sparked speculation over who will inherit his estimated $12.1 billion fortune — could it be his longtime partner?
Armani shared a deep, long-term relationship with Pantaleo “Leo” Dell’Orco, who has been involved with the Armani company since 1977 and now leads the Men’s Style Office.
While Armani and Dell’Orco kept much of their romance private, Armani called Dell’Orco the person closest to him in a 2024 interview with Italian publication Corriere della Sera. In the months before Armani’s death, Dell’Orco had been representing him at multiple fashion shows, highlighting the strength of both their professional and personal bond.
The Italian fashion designer had relationships with both men and women but rarely spoke about his sexuality, only sharing details about his love life on a few occasions throughout his lifetime.
”He made me Papa”
What we do know is that Armani first met his longtime partner Sergio Galeotti in 1966, in Tuscany, when Armani was 32.
Galeotti, 11 years younger, sparked an immediate connection with the designer.
Recalling their early bond in an interview with Vanity Fair, Armani said, “Right away he made me Papa – I felt right away responsible for him and for his life. It was really as if he were my child.”
Galeotti was the driving force behind Armani’s leap into fashion. He encouraged Armani to leave his steady $40,000-a-year job with menswear designer Nino Cerruti and take a risk on his own path.
Together, they sold their Volkswagen and launched the Armani label in 1975, with Galeotti managing the business side while Armani focused on the creative vision, ultimately turning Armani into one of Italy’s wealthiest men.
