“It Will Be Impossible to Forget Him”—Milan Mourns Giorgio Armani

At 9 am what is effectively three days of mourning for Mr. Armani in Milan was underway: we started to move. There were, in fact, two queues: members of the public wishing to pay their respects approached from one side, while hundreds of Armani employees were rightfully fast-tracked from the other.

Those queues converged at the door of the Armani/Teatro. We snaked up the corridor, which was flooded with sunshine. As corridor expanded into atrium, some well-wishers added to the already considerable landscape of floral tributes laid out to our left, while others wrote messages in the six black-bound books of remembrance laid open to our right. There were tears, many hugs, but no histrionics: just an overwhelming atmosphere of respect. And then it was time to go in.

It was undeniably strange, poignant, and powerful to be briefly in the presence of Mr. Armani—in the same space where we saw him show so many collections, take so many bows, and share so many opinions—for this very last time. The room was dotted with the evocative flickering lanterns that were his favorite evening decoration. The moving piano piece Nuvole Bianche by Ludovico Einaudi (Mr. Armani’s own choice, of course) played through the gloom.

Mr. Armani’s closed coffin was topped with a bouquet of white lilies and flanked by a quartet of Milanese carabinieri resplendent in ceremonial uniform, swords and all. Behind it was displayed the standard of Milan, a mark of honor. On a table alongside rested a large abstractly-carved hunk of crystal: a piece of sculpture that Mr. Armani had apparently kept by his bedside for many years. Each well-wisher was afforded a moment to approach the closed coffin, to touch it briefly, and to send a thought or prayer in Mr. Armani’s direction.

Alongside were chairs, there for Mr. Armani’s closest family and friends to sit vigil during his lying in state: this morning they included the designer’s nephew, Andrea Camarena, and Armani’s long-standing partner and menswear lead, Leo Dell’Orco. Other family members and friends will share the sad privilege to sit with Mr. Armani one last time today and tomorrow, before his private funeral on Monday.

As well as Mayor Sala, other visitors paying their respects to Mr. Armani on Saturday morning included veteran fashion entrepreneur Mario Boselli, Donatella Versace, Tommaso Sacchi, Carlo Capasa, John Elkann, Angela Missoni, Sara Maino, and Carla Sozzani. As she left the showspace, Missoni paused to say: “He was Giorgio: He was the first star, the first imprenditore [entrepreneur]. We shared a huge mutual respect and I think even affection. He was very human, and very sweet: he wrote to me when my mom died. And he was lucky in that he lived to the end, and that his mind and body was there. What can you wish for better?”