Editor’s Note: The fashion world mourns the passing of Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who revolutionized menswear, conquered the red carpet, and retained his independence until the end. Known as Il Signor Armani to his staff, he worked indefatigably and never waived from his vision.
Giorgio Armani was a fashion giant who first made his mark in menswear. His signature soft approach to tailoring reshaped not only the masculine suit but also male stereotypes. See Richard Gere at his most drop-dead gorgeous in 1980’s American Gigolo for proof. When it comes to womenswear, Armani focused on sartorialism rather than flou, bringing some of the swagger traditionally associated with haberdashery into a new realm.
Having studied to be a doctor at one point, Armani understood the body and how it moves; he designed clothes that allow free and fluid movement. He also has a sense of occasion, and his genius was to bring a certain easy confidence to red-carpet dressing. His Italian sprezzatura translated effortlessly into Hollywood. Armani is black-tie for winners, as evidenced by stars from Jodie Foster to Cate Blanchett to Renée Zellweger, all of whom wore his designs to pick up their Oscar statuettes.
At 70 years of age and 30 years into his career, Armani got into the couture game, launching Armani Privé in 2005. Recently in Paris he showed his 40th Privé collection, marking the brand’s 20th year. “If I’ve come this far,” he said then, “it’s thanks to the iron focus and obsessive attention with which I manage everything.”
