Giorgio Armani's story seems like something out of a novel: born into a modest family in Piacenza, as a child he experienced the nightmare of war and bomb shelters.
He enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine, but abandoned his studies for military service. Upon his return he decided to look for a job to help his family.
Armani started working as a window dresser for La Rinascente, a chain of sophisticated stores, in Milan, and this was the chance of a lifetime: there he was noticed by Nino Cerruti, Italian designer and entrepreneur, who chose him to work on his men's collection.
Armani probably wouldn't have become who he is today if he hadn't known Sergio Galeotti, an architect and co-founder of Giorgio Armani Corporation, his life and work partner, who launched with him on that new business adventure: in 1975 the first collection arrived Giorgio Armani.
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The designer often recalls in interviews that the first years were full of effort and sacrifices: an effort soon rewarded by international success.
Armani was one of the first designers to think of men's fashion as a trend and prioritized the functionality of clothes. The first collection with the brand that bears his name was launched in 1975. He
The piece that made him go down in history is the unstructured coat, that is, he deconstructed the classic suit and created versions with new cuts, fabrics and fits. To this day, his suits are a symbol of elegance, sensuality and sophistication.
A year after the first collection, Giorgio Armani decided to venture into women's clothing. The designer followed a movement that sought more freedom for women's wardrobes. Yves Saint-Laurent had already created a tuxedo for them, although bold, it was not very useful. It was Armani's turn to bring this boldness to everyday life, with feminine suits with traditionally masculine cuts in noble fabrics.
The Italian designer had already gained recognition in Europe, but was unable to enter the United States market.
It was only in 1980, after creating the costume for Richard Gere in 'American Gigolo', that Armani became the darling of Hollywood. Dozens of actors began to wear his creations, such as Michelle Pfeiffer, John Travolta e Jodie Foster.
In 1982 the Time magazine crowned him Man of the Year, a tribute given to another designer, Christian Dior.
In addition to revolutionizing fashion, Armani also had an excellent business sense: he first demonstrated this with the launch of Emporio Armani, a line aimed at young people, with more accessible prices. Then he created Armani Exchange and finally with EA7, focused on sports.
His name not only appears on labels, but also on perfumes, watches, homewares, hotels and even restaurants.
Not surprisingly, to everyone, he is “King Giorgio”.
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