Giorgio Armani, the visionary Italian designer, has passed away at 91. Over the course of five decades, Armani built a legacy in both Italian and global fashion to create a unique and everlasting style from the red carpet to the big screen.
Born in Piacenza, Giorgio Armani’s initial career plan was not fashion. He enrolled in medical college at the University of Milan after being inspired by A.J. Cronin’s The Citadel. However, after almost 3 years, he dropped out and enlisted in the army, where he served for two years in the Military Hospital of Verona. After his time in the military, he worked as a window dresser at La Rinascente, a high-end department store in Milan, curating his taste for fashion. After gaining skills in marketing and sales, he realised he could start freelancing and designing, catapulting his fashion career to new heights.
In 1966, Armani met Sergio Galeotti, an Italian architect and a business partner of his in the coming years. Together, they ounded Giorgio Armani S.p.A. in 1975. Legend has it that Armani’s Volkswagen Beetle sale contributed to the initial capital. They would go on to work together for another 20 years, until Galeotti’s death in 1985. The brand initially started off as a menswear brand- its debut collection was presented in Milan in 1975, featuring ready-to-wear pieces for the Spring and Summer 1976, along with some womenswear pieces. This collection featured a twist to the everyday formal look, showing blazers and pants in a more light and loose-fitted manner.
The Armani brand quickly expanded to include accessories, fragrances, and home decor, eventually turning into a high-end global lifestyle empire, spanning Giorgio Armani Privé, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange, and Armani/Casa. Always aware of the changing lifestyles of his clients, Armani entered the hospitality industry with Armani Hotels in Dubai and Milan in 2010 and 2011, respectively. He also built a strong presence in sports by sponsoring various sporting teams like the Italian national football team and a partnership with Scuderia Ferrari F1, both in 2020 and 2021. His restaurants, cafés, and bars around the world further showcased his idea of fashion as a complete experience, built of elegance and design.
Beyond this, Armani’s artistry reached Hollywood, where he revolutionised costume design with sleek, power-driven wardrobes for films such as American Gigolo and The Untouchables. For The Untouchables, Armani has mentioned that the styling for it was different from what he usually likes to style, as the movie is set in 1930s Chicago. The 3-piece suits and fedoras sell the vintage vibe well, very reminiscent but not fully accurate to the 1920s and 30s style the film was trying to portray. Armani also dressed countless stars off-screen, Cate Blanchett being one of them. In 2007, she stunned in a silver Armani Privé gown for the 79th Oscars, and in 2014, she wore a black lace Armani Privé dress with sheer detailing for the Golden Globes, both being some of the best looks of the night. At the 2023 Venice Film Festival, Cate Blanchett wore a sculptural black-and-white Armani Privé gown, embodying Armani’s vision to merge simplicity with sophistication. The look had fluid elegance: a sleek, strapless black bodice cascading into a dramatic train.
An iconic moment in his fashion career was his photoshoot with Grace Jones, a Jamaican model and singer, for her studio album Nightclubbing. Photographed by Jean-Paul Goude and styled by Armani, Grace Jones looks chiselled, with her hair and cigarette aligning perfectly with her body and background.
Armani also became the first designer to ban underweight models after the death of Ana Carolina Reston, following her death from anorexia nervosa. Armani was also the first fashion brand to close its Milan Fashion Week runway in 2020 as a public health concern after seeing the rising COVID-19 cases. The show was instead held in a theatre at the brand’s headquarters in Milan with no audience. In March 2020, the brand converted all its Italian production plants to produce single-use overalls for the protection of its workers.
The legacy of Giorgio Armani leaves a mark on both Italian and global fashion. By softening the lines of traditional menswear, he reinvented the suit, replacing rigid structures with relaxed tailoring that defined the era of effortless sophistication. Armani not only changed how the world dressed but also created a new language of modern Italian design. He also brought similar innovation to casual wear, elevating jeans into staples of high style while staying committed to timeless elegance over fleeting trends. He was a true statement in his time.
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