A lone red rose outside Armani as Milan mourns its 'king' of fashion

The 91-year-old designer, hailed as the ‘king’ of Italian fashion, had been reviewing dresses for his September 28 catwalk show until shortly before his death, underscoring a career devoted to work until the very end.

Milan: A lone red rose tied to the barrier outside the offices of Giorgio Armani in Milan's fashion district marked a quiet and poignant tribute to the legendary Italian designer on Friday as the city mourned his death at the age of 91.

The "king" of Italian fashion died on Thursday, half a century after he founded his namesake company, which has since grown into a luxury goods conglomerate spanning haute couture to perfume, make-up and even furniture.

"Beyond the artist, beyond the great king of fashion, we've lost a man with a big heart," Milan resident Gabriella Voccia told Reuters. "It's so sad."

In the tree-lined cul-de-sac housing the Armani offices, clothes deliveries arrived as usual while an exhibition area that has hosted catwalk shows was prepared as a chamber to hold Armani's coffin for the public to pay their respects.

There will be a private funeral on Monday afternoon.

"With Armani, an era comes to an end, an era where Italy was able to showcase its creativity in the world," said Milan resident Stefano Del Frate.

The death of Armani, who kept a tight grip over the empire he created, has shorn Italy of a national icon, prompting an outpouring of grief and tributes from celebrities, fashion leaders and shoppers.

Tributes to the designer, who started out as a window dresser at La Rinascente department store in Milan's main square before his displays caught the eye of designer Nino Cerruti, flooded the front pages of Italian papers.

"The world's embrace for the Lord of Fashion," Milanese daily Corriere della Sera wrote, next to the picture of a smiling Armani with a pencil in his hand.

"At work until the very end," the newspaper wrote, describing how, until shortly before his death, Armani had been reviewing dresses for a planned September 28 catwalk show.

Armani's show is scheduled to close Milan's womenswear fashion week later this month in the courtyard of Pinacoteca di Brera, the city's main art gallery, an event which was also intended to celebrate the brand's 50-year anniversary.

The designer's impact was global, and across the decades he dressed celebrities from Richard Gere to Julia Roberts to Lady Gaga. Questions now turn to where the company he led goes next and who takes the helm.

"I am shocked," said Angelique Benfield, passing by the Giorgio Armani store in Beverly Hills. "So definitely an icon in the fashion industry."