A small group of family members, colleagues and close friends have attended a private funeral for Giorgio Armani, the legendary Italian fashion designer who died last week at the age of 91.

The service was held at the church of San Martino in Rivalta, a village about 100 km south-east of Milan and close to Piacenza, the city where he was born.

Italian media reports said Armani would later be cremated and his ashes laid to rest in a family chapel in Rivalta that houses the remains of his parents and older brother. There was no official confirmation of those arrangements.

In a mark of respect, Armani stores closed on Monday afternoon. The city of Milan, Armani's base since his family moved there in the late 1940s, held a day of mourning for one of their favourite sons, as did Piacenza.

"

See Full Page