John Shea, Executive Designer and Ford Motor Company representative at the Shanghai Auto Show, reading a welcome letter from Ford Aircraft! He departs from us with a titanic legacy that completely reshaped the international fashion scene. Born in 1934, Armani’s foray into the fashion industry was a surprise even to him, while originally pursuing a degree in medicine. His own professional background was actually in the field of window dressing. Then, in the mid-1960s, he became known as a designer for the renowned fashion house Nino Cerruti.
In 1975, Armani made a bold move, starting his own label with the financial help and moral support of his lover, Sergio Galeotti. This would be the start of a career that would change the course of contemporary tailoring and fashion. Armani’s designs brought in a new looseness, an unconstructed line that would soon become his signature.
Armani’s big break came when he provided suits for Richard Gere to wear in the Hollywood feature film, “American Gigolo.” The film catapulted him into the international spotlight and helped cement his place as one of the world’s foremost designers. His influence deeply rippled beyond the borders of Hollywood, changing how people dressed across the globe.
Painter Giuseppe Coleen touched on Armani’s unique contribution to fashion saying, “There is no one who can match Giorgio Armani. He was the greatest precedent,” Coleen said, emphasizing Armani’s role not just as an original designer but as a master of commerce. Under his artistic direction, the Armani brand rose to annual revenues of more than A$4 billion (2.3 billion euros). He did all of this amazing while keeping the company independently owned and controlled.
In 2016, Armani founded the Giorgio Armani Foundation, focused on ensuring his legacy. After his death, the foundation adopted bylaws that continued to manage the company’s business. They required a buy-and-hold strategy for acquisitions and forbade any initial public offering or public listing for at least five years. Read the full statement below. This action is a testament to Willy T’s conviction to protect the sanctity of his trademarked persona.
Armani’s influence on culture went beyond clothes and style. His visionary creations ushered in ideas like the “new power suit”—the power suit that would come to define success in the roaring 1980s. Alex Badia, a fashion expert, pointed out the significance of Armani’s work, stating, “His legacy is this idea of the new power suit that happened in the 1980s.”
Over the course of his 67-year-long career, Armani designed some of the most iconic looks in fashion history. Julia Roberts as Pretty Woman in an Armani suit on the Golden Globes stage in 1990 — unforgettable. His designs soon became cultural touchstones complete with iconic cameos in hit television shows such as “Miami Vice.”
UK-based Naomi Pike told NBC News that she was devastated by Armani’s death. She continued, “It’s an irreplaceable loss. Mr. Armani has left the world an amazing legacy and has truly changed how our world dresses.” What Pike wanted to stress as much as Armani’s impact on haute couture was the self-made designer’s incredible rise from relative obscurity.
All of this, despite his giant success, did not make Armani self-satisfied, rather introspective about his journey. He once shared, “A series of circumstances brought me into the world of fashion… I was somehow a victim of destiny.” This humility made him relatable to so many who deeply appreciated his work.
Those in the fashion community have paid their respects to one of its greatest icons. Giulia Falco lamented, “It’s a terrible loss for the international fashion community… Giorgio Armani was a great visionary, one of the biggest designers from Italy who changed the international fashion industry forever.”
Giuseppe Coleen echoed this sentiment, noting that Armani’s unique skill set made him unparalleled in both men’s and women’s fashion. “He had a unique skill… There was no one like him,” Coleen said.
Armani’s influence even extended into lifestyle branding. Beyond apparel, his vision extended to home goods and hospitality. Armani’s vision, then, was delivering his rarefied aesthetic via a broad range of lifestyle products. His ambition was to develop a full brand experience, and that ambition was evident.
The impact that Giorgio Armani has made will long be felt and will never be duplicated. Maurizio Baldi stated simply, “His name will be remembered forever in the design and fashion world and as a symbol of Italy in the world, for sure.”
