Explainer-Armani's inner circle in line to take over his fashion empire

By Giulia Segreti

ROME (Reuters) -Giorgio Armani, who died on Thursday, built one of the world's most iconic fashion groups, over which he maintained a tight grip until the very end. His death raises questions about the future of his empire and who might take the reins.

Here are the people closest to him who might play a key role in his succession.

THE SISTER: ROSANNA ARMANI

Giorgio's key muse for decades, Rosanna, 86, was the youngest of the three Armani siblings. She was a model as a young woman and the designer claimed she was the first to have opened his eyes to the fashion industry.  

She was head of the group's communications and led the Emporio Armani Magazine, a lifestyle magazine illustrating the concepts that inspired collections.

THE RIGHT-HAND MAN: PANTALEO (LEO) DELL'ORCO 

Armani's closest confidant and partner, Dell'Orco was nearly always by his side. He heads Armani's men's style office, taking on an increasingly important role within the company where he worked for some 45 years.

The two men first met at a park in Milan and although Armani never revealed a relationship formally, he proudly wore a ring from Dell'Orco that was reportedly saved from a fire at the designer's home on the island of Pantelleria.

"I've never liked to elbow my way to the front. I prefer to stay behind the scenes and do the important things from there," Dell'Orco, 72, once told daily la Repubblica in an interview. 

He is part of the Armani Foundation board and is viewed as one of the three key figures who will drive the company forward.

THE NIECE AND STYLISTIC HEIR: SILVANA ARMANI

Silvana, 69, is one of two daughters of Giorgio's late brother Sergio. In his autobiography "Per Amore", Armani said that she, along with Dell'Orco, was his stylistic heir.

Silvana was her uncle's trusted aide in the womenswear department, where she has worked for over 40 years. 

"I spent more time with my uncle than with my dad... We work elbow-to-elbow," she said in a press interview, given to Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper in November 2023.     

She sits on the company's board.

THE SOCIALITE NIECE: ROBERTA ARMANI

Silvana's younger sister and Armani's head of VIP relations, 54-year-old Roberta has long been in the limelight, liaising with high-profile clients and celebrities.

Once married to Angelo Moratti, whose family controls Italian oil refiner Saras, she is now in a relationship with Italian Olympic rower Giuseppe Vicino. 

Like Silvana, she sits on the company's board. 

THE NEPHEW: ANDREA CAMERANA

Rosanna's son, 55-year-old Camerana entered the firm in 2007 and sits on the board. He left his operational roles in 2014. 

Camerana is expected to take over his uncle's position on the Armani Foundation board to flank Dell'Orco and Irving Bellotti in the company's governance. 

THE FINANCIER: IRVING BELLOTTI

Partner of global financial group Rothschild & Co and member of Armani's Executive Committee in Italy, Bellotti sits on the Armani Foundation board.

He is seen as a strong candidate for the triumvirate which will steer Armani towards its new governance model.  

THE BUSINESS GURU: GIUSEPPE MARSOCCI

Marsocci is head of commercial and marketing operations and deputy director general since 2019. A luxury industry veteran, he has held several roles in other Italian fashion and luxury groups before joining Armani.

He is a potential candidate for chief executive, along with Daniele Ballestrazzi.

THE OPERATOR: DANIELE BALLESTRAZZI

Ballestrazzi joined Armani in 2007 in New York as chief operating officer for the U.S. and Canada after working in Milan for the late Italian designer Gianni Versace.

He has been Armani's Chief Operating and Financial Officer since 2015 and was appointed as deputy director general in 2019.

THE ENTREPRENEUR: FEDERICO MARCHETTI

The Italian entrepreneur and founder of luxury online retailer Yoox Net-A-Porter (YNAP), Marchetti was appointed non-executive director of the board of the fashion house in 2020. 

In a preface to a book by Marchetti, Armani wrote: "In Federico I see something of myself: my ideals and my way of acting and thinking."

(Reporting by Giulia Segreti; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Hugh Lawson)