Giorgio Armani. Biography
July 11, 1934 (Piacenza, Italy)
Background:
“My philosophy has always been to help women and men feel comfortable and confident through the clothes that they wear, rather than to create decoration for the sake of it.” Giorgio Armani
One of the most influential and celebrated designers in the world, Giorgio Armani is well-known for creating one of the most popular and upscale fashion brands in the world and turning his Italian company into a fashion giant with incredible sales of more than $1 billion a year. This led him to being named Forbes magazine’s “Most Successful Designer out of Italy” in 2000. He also has used his brand name to launch multiple lines that include A/X Armani Exchange, Giorgio Armani, Armani Jeans Emporio Armani and Armani Golf, among others.
Hard work, creativity and design philosophy that include eliminating the superfluous, emphasize the comfortable, and acknowledge the elegance of the uncomplicated, have earned Armani his fortune. His designs are regularly featured in media-heavy events such as the Academy Awards. Armani’s spectacular designs have also won numerous awards like a Neiman Marcus Award, the International Top Men’s Fashion Designer Award from the Cutty Sark in 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, and 1987, the GQ magazine’s Men’s Style Award in 1981, a Council of Fashion Designers of America Award in 1983, Occhio D’Oro Awards in 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1988, Italian Government Awards in 1985 and 1987, a Fiorino D’Oro Award in 1992, an Aguja De Oro in 1993 and GQ’s Award in 1996. In addition to the multitude awards, Armani’s 25 years in the industry was honored by New York’s Guggenheim Museum, making him the only designer whose work is displayed there.
Workaholic
Childhood and Family:
On July 11, 1934, Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, Italy. One of three children, Armani dreamed of becoming a doctor when he was a child. With the growing passion, after high school graduation, he briefly enrolled as a medical student at the University of Bologna. Discovering medicine, specifically the sight of blood, was not his true calling, self-proclaimed hard worker Armani decided to leave school to pursue photography, before being called up for national service in 1957.
Emporio Armani
Career:
Quitting medical school to try his hand in photography, Giorgio Armani began a career as a window-dresser and then a purchaser at Milan’s largest department store, La Rinascente, after spending a brief time in the military. During this period, he frequently traveled to the UK, where he later disclosed was a great inspiration to develop his classic style. Commenting about it, he said, “England was virtually the most important centre for inspiration. When I was working for Il Rinascente, we used to travel to London for the influences, to see the shops, to learn. I remember seeing some yellow cardigans in a small boutique and bringing them to Il Rinascente and everyone thought I was insane. Yellow cardigans were what the Duke of Windsor was about, they were not something for the average man. The entire idea of such clothing was so outrŠ¹, so elitist... very, very English.”
With merchandising experience in his pocket and an ambition to design, Armani then applied to the renowned fashion house Nino Cerruti in 1961 and was so good that they soon recruited him as an assistant designer for their men’s clothing company named Hitman. Posts at Ungaro and Zegna were soon to follow, but after a six year tenure, he left the company to pursue freelance work.
In 1974, with assistance from his partner, Sergio Galeotti, Armani finally launched his own company, Giorgio Armani S.p.A. with a menswear label, while his first women’s wear collection followed a year later. To support the venture, he even had to sell his Volkswagen.
Known today for his clean, tailored lines, the man behind the eagle label gained his first worldwide breakthrough in the early 1980s when he tailored Richard Gere’s wardrobe in the 1980 movie American Gigolo. His career subsequently took flight and he continues to design for numerous Hollywood names, including Jodie Foster, Michelle Pfeiffer, Russell Crowe, Benjamin Bratt, Robert De Niro and Benicio Del Toro. In addition, Armani’s creations have been seen on the Academy Award red carpet and at Hollywood affairs.
His massive victory was further established in 1981 by the lunching of the first of a string of stores selling his cheaper diffusion lines, Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans. It was followed by the opening of Armani women’s perfume in 1982, Armani men’s fragrance in 1984, Notturno telephone (manufactured by Italtel) in 1986, Giorgio Armani Occhiali and Giorgio Armani Calze in 1987, A/X Armani Exchange in 1991, Acqua di Gio women’s perfume, Giorgio Armani Neve (Snow), and Giorgio Armani Golf, all in 1995, and Acqua di Gio men’s fragrance and Giorgio Armani Classico for men and women, in 1996. In 2000, he added a new make-up line to his output, designed by Pat McGrath. Today, the Armani empire consists of some 2,000 commercial centers worldwide with annual sales reaching over $1 billion, primarily from the United States.
“Every time I get involved in something that goes beyond my world of work, I question whether I’m doing a good thing or a bad thing or if I’m being an exhibitionist. I think a lot about it. I want to be known for my work as a designer. But there are certain offers that you just have to accept. It’s great to be someone who has given people something with my work, to feel that and to continue feeling it.” Giorgio Armani
Awards:
GQ’s Award: Man of the Year, 1996
Aguja De Oro: Best Designer of the Year, 1993
Fiorino D’Oro: Promoting Made in Italy image, 1992
PETA: 1990
Gran Caveliere Della Repubblica (Italian Government Award) and the Lifetime Achievement: Men’s wear by CFDA, 1987
Commendatore Dell’Ordine Al Merito Della Repubblica (Italian Government Award): 1985
Occhio D’Oro: Best Designer for Spring/Summer Collections, 1984, 1986, 1987, and 1988
Council of Fashion Designers of America: 1983
GQ magazine’s Men’s Style: Best Fashion Designer, 1981
Cutty Sark: International Top Men’s Fashion Designer, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1986, and 1987
Neiman Marcus: 1979
