Born: Piacenza, Italy, 1934
‘In Italy, fashion is logical, rational and wearable,’ observed Giorgio Armani in 1986. ‘I do not allow myself the luxury of waiting for inspiration. The birth of a new collection is a drama, of course. But in the end I sit down alone at a sheet of white paper, and design.’ Architect of the soft shoulder and fluid suit, Giorgio Armani is the undisputed king of Italian tailoring, revered by his contemporaries and customers alike.
Having studied medicine at the University of Bologna, Armani left in 1953 to serve in the Italian army. In 1954 he was employed as a window-display designer and stylist, and eventually became menswear buyer for La Rinascente department store chain. He designed menswear for Nino Cerruti from 1960–70, followed by five years of freelance work, culminating in the launch of his own menswear collection, instigated by his close friend and business partner Sergio Galeotti in 1975.
Armani spent almost 20 years analysing fashion from different angles – and it shows. He sees clothes in the round and the fashion industry as a complete entity, its quiet evolution rather than earth-moving revolution. He isn’t into trickery. He sells. He delivers. No wonder Armani is the biggest-selling European designer in the USA. Myths and legends surround the designer with his white hair, permanent tan and calm veneer, but the picture emerges of a perfectionist who dictates the precise distance between hangers, allows his cats to eat from starched white napkins, and only handles credit cards, never cash. His staff say he resembles Rodin’s Thinker while designing.
During the designer decade, Armani was the symbol of success among the stockbrokers and financial whiz kids around the world – a quiet, assured label which spoke a thousand words about salary levels and business hierarchy. The recipient of numerous awards, Armani’s accolades include the Grand Ufficiale dell’Ordine al Merito della Republica – the highest government award – and a doctorate from the Royal College of Art. His doctorate for design excellence put him on a par with architect Sir Norman Foster and David Lynch, director of Twin Peaks (1989).
Armani always has a strong presence at the Oscars and has dressed the A-list of screen stars including Jodie Foster, Anjelica Huston, Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert de Niro. He made clothes for The Untouchables (1987) and American Gigolo (1980). The director Martin Scorsese made a 26-minute documentary film about Armani’s collection, called Made in Milan, which was launched at the Venice film festival in September 1990. Armani now has a Los Angeles representative to coordinate celebrity clients but in 1987 he protested, ‘Please don’t call me a celebrity designer. I _like designing for people who work, so that includes actors and actresses, but as people who work, not as stars.’
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TAGS GIORGIO ARMANI BLACK ON BLK PONY LEATHER BAG |  |
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US $799.00 | 1h 7m |
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14292 auth GIORGIO ARMANI quilted nubuck Shoulder Bag | |
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US $1,555.55 | 10h 54m |
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Vintage Giorgio Armani Leather Handbag Black RAREChic | |
0 Bid | US $19.99 | 10h 59m |
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WOMENS BAG ARMANI JEANS FABRIC COLLECTION S S 2010 | |
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US $99.60 | 11h 32m |
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ARMANI EVENING BAG | |
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US $95.00 | 12h 41m |
