Mourners pay their respects to Giorgio Armani in Milan

Thousands of mourners paid their respects to Giorgio Armani, Italy's most famous designer, who died this week at the age of 91, filing in silence past his coffin in Milan.

Armani's coffin is on display in the fashion district of Milan for two days as Italy bids farewell to its famous designer.


The wooden casket, adorned with white roses, was placed in the vast, dark exhibition space at the company's headquarters where catwalk shows are held. It was surrounded by dozens of small lanterns.

"Everything he did in his life he did it out of passion," said Pier Carlo Bertoglio, who traveled from nearby Lodi to the Armani offices.

Among the first visitors were John Elkann, the scion of Italy's prominent Agnelli family, and his wife, Lavinia.

The coffin was greeted by applause from the waiting crowd as it was brought into the building by a hearse.

What do we know about Armani's health in recent months?
Armani died after struggling with health issues for months.. Over the summer, he was forced to cancel his participation in fashion shows due to poor health.

More than 6,000 people had visited to pay their respects by Saturday evening, including fellow fashion designer Donatella Versace.

The public viewing will continue through Sunday before a private funeral on Monday.