Talks over the sale of a 15% stake in Giorgio Armani are expected to come into focus after the first anniversary of the designer’s death, with LVMH, L’Oréal and EssilorLuxottica named as preferred potential buyers in his will.
Armani died aged 91 on September 4 2025. His will stipulated that the stake should be sold within 18 months of his death, while giving preference to the three companies as possible purchasers.
Giuseppe Marsocci, chief executive of Giorgio Armani, said there was no favoured bidder and suggested the stake could be divided between all three.
“It is not written in stone that there has to be one,” he told reporters backstage at the fashion house’s runway show in Milan.
Marsocci said the will permitted discussions to begin only after the first anniversary of Armani’s death. He declined to confirm whether talks had already started, saying the assumption that they were under way “may have some logic”.
The ownership question comes as the fashion house considers its creative direction following the appointment of Dario Vitale as head of accessories and creative director of Emporio Armani. His debut on the runway has not yet been confirmed.
Asked whether Vitale’s responsibilities could expand, Marsocci said the future remained unsettled. “From here into the future, you never know,” he said.
The latest Giorgio Armani womenswear collection, titled “Evolution”, combined daywear and evening clothing, with sparkle used across both. Fluid trousers and long dresses were paired with structured bodices, while silver and gold details featured prominently.
Silvana Armani, the designer’s niece and long-standing head of womenswear, said the collection represented fashion “that everyone can wear”. She also introduced cotton, a fabric she said her uncle disliked but which she “adores”.
Armani’s influence was acknowledged through two pieces: a recreation of the formal double-breasted Communion suit he wore at the age of eight, and a graphic jacket featuring his image.
