The Enduring Legacy of Giorgio Armani
The Italian designer's career spans almost half a century.
Synonymous with class and elegance, Giorgio Armani's eponymous label has been dressing women and men from around the world since the brand's launch in 1975. With a minimalist and timeless approach to fashion, Armani has created an everlasting reputation with well-known celebrity clients, such as Angelina Jolie, Jodie Foster, and Sharon Stone. Most notably, however, his most famous involvement was in the Paul Schrader directed movie American Gigolo, where Richard Gere's character was the Armani-wearing escort framed for the murder of a client. Since then, Armani's popularity grew to new heights, launching him to another level of fame.
It's quite fitting that Armani's fame grew in part due to cinema, as Armani himself has always declared that cinema is one of the biggest inspirations in his creative process. Growing up in a smaller town in Italy, Giorgio Armani dreamt of Hollywood and the people on the silver screen. He recalls watching movies with his family, and how those moments are sacred memories that he holds onto. Movies fueled him with ideas and fantasies about what to create, channeling the images from the screen to his drawings. The emotions he felt while watching actors on screen opened his mind to visions of beaded gowns and embroidered blazers. Armani's legacy today is greatly due to Hollywood, and in turn, much of Hollywood's legacy has Giorgio Armani in it.
Born in 1934, Giorgio Armani initially pursued a career in medicine at the University of Milan. In 1953, however, he was placed in the Italian army before finishing his degree. Fast forward a couple of years later, Armani became a window dresser at the Italian department store La Rinascente and in 1960, he started working at Nino Cerruti as a menswear designer. It wasn't until fifteen years later that the designer decided to start his own label, alongside friend Sergio Galeotti. Over the course of many years, Armani expanded his brand by adding fragrances and home decor, aand even built branded hotels and resorts around the world.
Today, Armani is behind dozens of Hollywood's most iconic looks. His gowns and suits have been worn at the Academy Awards and the Cannes Film Festival for decades, and he is a favorite amongst many characters in films like Batman, Goodfellas, and Pulp Fiction. His impeccable tailoring and attention to detail has made him a favorite amongst menswear, for his clean-cut suits and expert craftsmanship.
With the success and fame he has garnered, Giorgio Armani has taken to philanthropic pursuits as well, creating the Teatro Armani, a place where smaller designers can present their collections during Milan Fashion Week. His continuous efforts to support medical research and environmental conservation make him a humanitarian on top of fashion designer, and at 90 years old, Armani continues to deepen and strengthen an already rich and fascinating history.
