Armani, Giorgio

(1934- )

   Born in Piacenzi, Italy, Armani studied medicine before joining the Italian military. He then went on to work in window dressing before becoming a menswear buyer. Armani's design career began in 1964, working for Nino Cerruti, before he opened his own freelance design firm in 1973. In 1975, he founded his own company, Giorgio Armani S.p.A. Armani changed the way men and women perceived how each gender should dress. He blurred the lines and had men and women looking more alike. He is credited with introducing unstructured menswear in the 1980s, specifically in his radical approach to the men's jacket. He changed the traditional approach to men's tailoring and solidified Italian fashion as a major presence in the fashion world. Armani provided the ease of sportswear yet maintained the quality of custom-made tailoring. The Hollywood movie American Gigolo featured the actor Richard Gere as the model of this male sexuality; Gere was dressed solely in Armani suits. Thus, Armani became identified as the designer of choice for luxury ready-to-wear for men.

   Armani's approach to womenswear was just as dramatic. He revitalized and created the power suit for women as they made their mark in the corporate world. The details long associated with traditional men's tailoring gave his suits for women the look, feel, and message the businesswomen of the 1980s demanded. Armani's signature continues to be softly tailored jackets in exceptional fabrics. In 2003, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation funded a retrospective of Armani's work that opened in New York and traveled to the Berlin Neue National Galerie and the Royal Academy of Art in London. In 2004, Armani received the Fashion Group International Superstar Award. Hollywood stars were present to support Armani—the fashion icon—always a designer of taste. In 2005, Armani revitalized his couture line called Armani Privé Couture. It was also the year that he celebrated his 30th business anniversary. In 2006, Armani designed both the athletic and newscaster wardrobes for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. His empire also includes the AX/Armani Exchange, Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, and Armani Collection.