Private hometown funeral for Italian fashion legend Armani

MILAN

Close friends and family of late fashion legend Giorgio Armani paid their final respects on Sept. 7 at a small, private funeral in the village in northern Italy where his parents are buried.

The ceremony took place at the 14th-century Church of San Martino in the picturesque village of Rivalta, near Piacenza, the city where the designer was born.

Armani, who died on Sept. 4 aged 91, was one of the most famous names in fashion and head of a multi-billion-euro luxury lifestyle business.

His funeral was a strictly private affair, but local residents lined up to see the hearse arrive, some throwing white rose petals and clapping as it drove past.

"It is very moving to know that his life, which was so important to everyone, ends here where it all began, in the village he loved so much," 55-year-old local Romina Bozza told AFP.

Around 15,000 people paid their respects over the weekend, when his coffin was put on display for two days at the Armani group's headquarters in Milan, a spokesman said.

Armani shops were due to close Monday afternoon in a sign of respect for the designer, whose understated but exquisitely tailored creations were beloved of Hollywood A-listers.

The area surrounding the Rivalta church was cordoned off "for security reasons and to ensure the privacy of the funeral," according to a local heritage association.