Giorgio Armani is a world-renowned Italian fashion designer known for his beautiful clothes. His reputation is particularly great in the United States, where the name ‘Armani’ is linked with elegance and flair. Armani didn’t intend to be a designer; his first job option was to be a doctor! He enrolled in the University of Milan’s Department of Medicine, but dropped out to join the army. He got work as a window dresser in a department store after being discharged from the army, where he stayed for seven years studying everything he could about fashion design and marketing. He began designing menswear and has collaborated with a number of fashion firms, including Allegri, Hilton, Bagutta, Sicons, and others. He went on to start his own label, ‘Armani,’ which quickly became one of the most recognizable names in the world of fashion. He expanded his business to include undergarments, swimwear, and accessories as a result of the growing success of his creative clothing. He has designed costumes for over 100 films, including ‘American Gigolo’ and ‘The Untouchables,’ establishing his Hollywood fame. His passion for sports led him to create the England national football team’s uniforms. He is still considered one of the top fashion designers the world has ever seen today.
Childhood and Adolescence
In the Italian town of Piacenza, Giorgio Armani was born as the middle child of Maria Raimondi and Ugo Armani. His father was a shipping manager, and he came from a low-income family. From a young age, he was fascinated by human anatomy, which inspired him to seek a career in medicine. He enrolled at the Department of Medicine at the University of Milan after graduating from high school, but left after three years to join the army in 1953.
Career of Giorgio
After being dismissed from the army, he got work as a window dresser in a department store in Milan. He subsequently worked for seven years as a salesman in the menswear department, where he learnt about fashion design and marketing. In the mid-1960s, he began working for Nino Cerutti as a menswear designer. Simultaneously, he started freelancing and sent his designs to a variety of other garment makers. He met Sergio Galeotti, an architectural draftsman, in the late 1960s and formed a long-term personal and professional relationship with him. Galeotti was the one who encouraged him to begin his own practice in 1973.
Throughout the early 1970s, Armani freelanced for a number of well-known fashion labels such as Allegri, Hilton, Gibo, and others, ensuring that his designs were seen by a larger audience. His freelance success inspired him to start his own label. In Milan, he founded Giorgio Armani S.p.A. with his buddy Galeotti in 1975. Under his own name, he showed a Spring and Summer 1976 ready-to-wear collection for men and women. In 1979, he established the Giorgio Armani Corporation, the American arm of the Italian firm Giorgio Armani S.p.A, and launched the ‘Mani’ apparel line for men and women.
Under his Giorgio Armani brand, he launched various product lines, including Le Collezioni, Underwear and Swimwear, and Accessories. Armani Junior, Armani Jeans, and Emporio Armani were all released in the 1980s. The Emporio collections featured more young and stylish items at a more modest price point, aimed at the social middle-class. Armani forged a tight relationship with Hollywood throughout the years, designing costumes for more than 100 films. His designs are worn by several Hollywood stars, including Penelope Cruz, Anne Hathaway, Megan Fox, and others.
Major Projects of Giorgio
His first major accomplishment was the establishment of Giorgio Armani S.p.A. in Milan in 1975. The company now sells not only clothing but also perfumes, watches, and accessories. The corporation also owns and runs hotels, restaurants, and cafes around the world. Following his Italian company’s enormous success, he established the Giorgio Armani Corporation in New York in 1979. The company designs and distributes clothing for men, women, and children, as well as licensing its name to perfume and accessory companies. He also made a name for himself as a celebrity clothes designer. He has designed costumes for over a hundred films to date, the most famous of which is Richard Gere’s ‘American Gigolo’ (1980), which launched his career in Hollywood.
Achievements & Awards
In 1979, he received the Neiman Marcus Award for “Distinguished Service in the Field of Fashion.”
In 1987, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented him with the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award.
Personal History and Legacy
Armani has always been a bachelor who was so preoccupied with his job that he had no time for ladies. His siblings and their children are very close to him. His company employs his sister, nieces, and nephews.
Estimated Net Worth
Giorgio Armani is an Italian fashion designer with a $9.6 billion dollar net worth. Giorgio Armani is primarily recognized for his well-liked suits for men. Armani’s commercial empire began in the mid-1970s and has since grown significantly. When his men’s ‘power suits’ began to feature often on the actors in the series Miami Vice and again in the 1980 film American Gigolo, his fame skyrocketed. Armani is also the world’s wealthiest openly LGBT person.
Trivia
He is a vegetarian, a non-smoker, and a teetotaler.
If he could go back in time, he believes that he would not have decided to be a fashion designer.
He is the president of the Olimpia Milano basketball team and has a keen interest in sports.