By Claudia Chieppa, Alex Fraser and Hanna Rantala

MILAN (Reuters) – Former staff at Giorgio Armani’s fashion empire joined crowds gathering on Sunday to pay their final respects to the designer who kept Italy at the forefront of global fashion.

The death of Armani at the age of 91 sparked an outpouring of international grief, with tributes flowing in from Hollywood celebrities and ordinary people alike.

“We are retired former employees and it was our duty and it was obvious that we would come here because it was a great privilege and honour to work for him,” said Ornella Gagliolo.

“For all of us, he was like a father, that I can tell you,” she told Reuters.

Armani died on Thursday after a five-decade career in which he built a business empire spanning haute couture to home furnishing,

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