Julia Roberts, Anna Wintour, Ralph Lauren and more pay tribute to Giorgio Armani

Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani's work spanned the worlds of celebrity, fashion and power. His death announced Thursday at age 91 has elicited an outpouring of tributes.

“I have always had the deepest respect and admiration for Giorgio Armani, not only as a designer who never strayed from his vision, but as a man who loved his family and friends, and his homeland in such a special way. Though he was an icon of the world of fashion, he lived with great humility and a love of living that inspired the way he worked and the way he lived. He created a world reflecting all the things he loved with a foreverness that will be his legacy.” — the American designer, in a statement to The Associated Press.

“Giorgio Armani had such a clear force of personality and vision that you knew his work instantly, wherever you found it. He understood power and attitude and elegance as well as anyone ever has in fashion, and he understood women too: how they wanted to dress and what message they wanted to send as they asserted themselves through his rise in the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond. He also never confined himself to one field or one discipline, and understood that fashion can’t exist in a silo. For him fashion wasn’t one thing: It was also film, music, sport, art, design, and architecture, and he left his mark in all these worlds—and everywhere he went.” — the chief content officer for Condé Nast, in a statement.

“I still can’t believe it. I mean, I was just told like 20 minutes ago that he had passed and I did not even know he was in ill health. And I did not think of him as that old, you know. For me, he was like eternal — this brilliant, kind man who was so talented and created this whole kind of sophisticated, understated glamour that really defined the ’90s in a way. And he discovered me at the Venice Film Festival when “Mighty Aphrodite” premiered there and asked if I could, if he could dress me. And he started dressing me then. I wore his beautiful designs to most of my most important moments in my career and in my personal life. ... I will really miss him and I think the world will miss him.” — the actor, in an interview with The Associated Press, recounting how Armani made her a retro-glam Oscar dress and her wedding dress.

“Mr. Armani was such a visionary. Family is very important to him. His friends were very important to him. He was such an incredible artist. And his legacy will go on and on, through the beautiful thing he’s created.” — the actor, in an interview with AP, recounting that she met her husband Gian Luca Passi de Preposulo at an Armani fashion show in Paris in 2012.

“Giorgio Armani was a visionary whose influence reached far beyond design. I first met him many years ago in Milan and I remember being blown away by his creativity and genius. He was a legendary force who inspired generations, and his legacy will continue to shape and uplift the world for years to come.” - the actor, on his Instagram story.

“The world lost a giant today. He made history and will be remembered forever.” — the Italian fashion designer, on Instagram.

“A true friend. A Legend.” —- the actor, adding a broken heart emoji, on Instagram.

“On screen and off, in quiet moments and on the grandest stages, I have had the honor of wearing Armani. Today, we remember a man whose genius touched many lives and whose legacy of grace and timeless style will endure.” — the actor, in a statement.

“A great honour to have had the chance to meet and work with such an amazing person. You will be missed Giorgio.” — the Ferrari F1 driver and an Armani ambassador, on Instagram.

“Giorgio Armani leaves us at 91 years old. With his elegance, sobriety, and creativity, he was able to bring luster to Italian fashion and inspire the entire world. An icon, a tireless worker, a symbol of the best of Italy. Thank you for everything.” — the Italian prime minister, across her social media accounts and originally posted in Italian.

“The fashion world has lost a true legend in Giorgio Armani — a visionary designer whose legacy will live on forever. I feel honoured to have called him a friend.” — the English fashion designer and former Spice Girl, on Instagram.

“Giorgio. 1997 at the Cannes film festival, after my bag was lost in transit, LA Confidential producer Arnon Milchan sent me to the Armani store with a credit card to get a suit for the premiere. That began a love affair with Armani suits that continues to this day. Mr. Armani has made a deep contribution, to fashion, to design, to popular culture. His energy, vision and finesse has made a mark acknowledged around the globe. I adored him. He was so kind. So many significant moments in my life, awards, wedding, Wimbledon… all in Armani. I have been looking forward to seeing him, plans were in place for Milan at the end of this month. Alas… What a life he had, from his beginnings to his glory.” — the actor, on X.

“Thank you, Mr. Giorgio Armani, for your countless years of friendship, collaboration and dedication to your visionary craft. May God bless you as you are welcomed into eternal peace.” — the actor, on Instagram.

“I mourn someone I have always considered a friend, never a rival. I can only bow to his immense talent, to the changes he brought to fashion, and above all, to his unwavering loyalty to one style: his own.” — the Italian designer behind Valentino, on Instagram.

“Heartbroken to hear about the passing of a legend. A true master of his craft.” — the supermodel, on Instagram.

“Goodbye and rest in peace. Caro Giorgio! You have touched so many people with your elegance and will continue to inspire forever.” — the Belgian designer, on Instagram.

“I am heartbroken to hear of Mr. Armanis passing. Kind, generous and loyal. A true pioneer of elegance. A global inspiration. And today, a massive loss for all. Thank you for everything Mr. Armani, it was an honor and privilege to work with you on so many momentous occasions in my life and to witness your craft firsthand.” — the actor, on Instagram.

Incredibly saddened to hear about the passing of Giorgio Armani. One of the nicest people and mentors I was lucky enough to meet and work with. Thinking about Roberta and his family and everyone who worked with him. — the actor, on Instagram.

FILE - Fashion designer Giorgio Armani, left, talks with actress Isabella Rossellini and actor Nicolas Cage at a gathering of the National Italian American Foundation in Washington, Oct. 29, 1994. (AP Photo/Greg Gibson, File)

FILE - Italy's fashion designer Giorgio Armani, left, and AC Milan's soccer player Andriy Shevchenko of Ukraine, pose for a photo holding the Olympic torches in Milan, northern Italy, Jan. 29, 2006. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

FILE - Italian actress Sophia Loren, right, and fashion designer Giorgio Armani arrive for the reopening of La Scala theater in Milan, Dec. 7, 2004. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

FILE - Italian designer Giorgio Armani attends his Haute Couture Fall Winter 2016/17 collection show in Moscow, Russia, April 14, 2016. (AP Photo/ Pavel Bednyakov, File)

FILE - Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani acknowledges applause at the end of his Emporio Armani men's Fall-Winter 2014 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy, Jan. 13, 2014. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, file)

FILE - Fashion designer Giorgio Armani acknowledges the applause after presenting his Emporio Armani men's Fall-Winter 2017-2018 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni, File)

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Police in Ohio's capital city said Wednesday that they have gathered enough evidence to link a man charged in the double homicide of his ex-wife and her husband in their Columbus home last month to the killings.

Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant said in an Associated Press interview that authorities now believe Michael David McKee, 39, a vascular surgeon who was living in Chicago, was the person seen walking down a dark alley near Monique and Spencer Tepe's home in video footage from the night of the murders. His vehicle has also been identified traveling near the house, and a firearm found in his Illinois residence also traced to evidence at the scene, she said.

An attorney representing McKee could not be identified through court listings.

His arrest Saturday capped off nearly two weeks of speculation surrounding the mysterious killings that attracted national attention. No obvious signs of forced entry were found at the Tepes’ home. Police also said no weapon was found there, and murder-suicide was not suspected. Further, nothing was stolen, and the couple’s two young children and their dog were left unharmed in the home.

“What we can tell you is that we have evidence linking the vehicle that he was driving to the crime scene. We also have evidence of him coming and going in that particular vehicle,” Bryant told the AP. “What I can also share with you is that there were multiple firearms taken from the property of McKee, and one of those firearms did match preliminarily from a NIBIN (ballistic) hit back to this actual homicide.”

Bryant said that the department wants the public to keep the tips coming. Investigators were able to follow up on every phone call, email and private tip shared from the community to the department and some of that information allowed them to gather enough evidence to make an arrest, she said.

That work culminated in the apprehension of McKee in Rockford, Illinois, where the hospital where he worked — OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center — has said it is cooperating with the investigation. He has been charged with premeditated aggravated murder in the shooting deaths. Monique Tepe, who divorced McKee in 2017, was 39. Her husband, a dentist whose absence from work that morning prompted the first call to police, was 37.

McKee waived his right to an extradition hearing on Monday during an appearance in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court in Winnebago County, Illinois, where he remains in jail. Bryant said officials are working out details of his return to Ohio, with no exact arrival date set. His next hearing in Winnebago County is scheduled for Jan. 23.

Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said Wednesday that the city doesn't prioritize high-profile cases any more than others, noting that the city's closure rate on criminal cases exceeds the national average. The city also celebrated in 2025 its lowest level of homicides and violent crime since 2007, Ginther said.

“Every case matters. Ones that receive national attention, and those that don’t,” he told the AP. “Every family deserves closure and for folks to be held accountable, and the rest of the community deserves to be safe when dangerous people are taken off the street.”

Ginther said it is vital for central Ohioans to continue to grieve with the Tepes' family, which includes two young children, and loved ones, as they cope with “such an unimaginable loss.”

“I want our community to wrap our arms around this family and these children for years to come,” he said.

This undated booking photo provided by the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, shows Michael David McKee, who was charged in the killing of his ex-wife, Monique Tepe, and her husband Spencer Tepe at their Columbus, Ohio, home on Dec. 30, 2025. (Winnebago County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Spencer and Monique Tepe's home in Columbus, Ohio, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)

This image taken from video shows Michael David McKee walking into the courtroom on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Rockford, Ill. (WIFR News/Pool Photo via AP)