Do you all remember those fancy and pricey suits that Leonardo Di Caprio was flaunting in “The Wolf of Wall Street” movie? Well, let’s be honest, we all thought that those suits were absolutely amazing (yes I know, Leo is flawless in any dress). However, the genius behind those creations celebrated forty years of his career this May, we are talking about Giorgio Armani, of course.
The career of one of the most famous Italian fashion designers started, in fact, in the 70s. Giorgio was studying to become a doctor when he decided to drop out from university after only three years. He recently admitted he was fairly young and really confused about his future, when he started working in Milan at La Rinascente department store as an assistant of architects whose role was fitting the windows. He also revealed in an interview that he never aimed to work in fashion and that when he first stumbled into the business, he hated it. Like most young men, he progressively realised his purpose in life, started to love his job and became more and more passionate about it.
Eventually, in 1975, his first independent ready-to-wear collection was released. Since the beginning Giorgio’s style expressed uniqueness. The dichotomy between innovation and precision defines the majority of his clothes and his creations are rigorous and clear. Inspired by the rational and functional style of the Bauhaus of the late 20’s, but twisted by an eccentric passion for orientalism, Armani’s clothes are smooth but seductive at the same time.
His innovative nature can be especially appreciated in the way he redefines men’s jackets. Giorgio, in fact, rethinks this fashion item by deconstructing its lines and by removing almost all the internal supports, such as linings. Jackets became therefore more simplified and sharp, suitable even for women. The colours of his clothes are remarkable, too. Over the years, the catwalks are dominated by cold tones, such as the black and white contrast and by a deep blue, also known as blue-Armani. But above all, Giorgio prefers the “greige”, a mixture between grey and beige, which represents the distinctive nuance of his production, refined and pure.
Despite his immediate success in Italy, his international consecration began only in 1982 when Time magazine featured him on its cover describing his work as “Giorgio’s gorgeous style”. It was a triumph and privilege that only Christian Dior, forty years before, had ever received. From that moment, one success followed the other for this Italian fashion house.
Giorgio has designed the wardrobes of some of the most famous celebrities such as Richard Gere in American Gigolo and, more recently, Christian Bale in the Batman trilogy and all the costumes for Lady Gaga’s world tour. Armani is a must on every red carpettoo. Just have a look at the stunning looks of George Clooney and Matt Boomer at the last Met Gala in New York, for example.
In order to celebrate this incredible success Giorgio inaugurated a fantastic exhibition in Milan called “Armani Silos”. The area is huge, 4500 square meters, divided over four floors, each representing a specific theme. The ground floor is dedicated to Daytime clothing. On the first floor you can appreciate the masterpieces named “Esotismi” where the influence of orientalism is clearly recognizable. On the second floor “Cromatismi”, in which the Armani’s colours and nuances are central. Finally on the third and last floor the pure and impeccable creations are praised in the section called “Luce”. As Armani himself explained, the exhibition was thought in order to offer to the public a journey through his legacy. But more importantly, Giorgio’s aim was to demonstrate to those who criticised him by saying the he only repeated himself over the years, what his creative genius is actually capable of.
At the opening ceremony that was held the 30th of April, many celebrities from all over the world arrived in Milan to greet the Italian fashion designer. Leonardo Di Caprio, Tom Cruise, Cate Blanchett, Janet Jackson and Hilary Swank are only some of the many famous Hollywood stars that were present at the party. Despite his age, King Giorgio welcomed each of his guests personally, like only an elegant gentlemen would do. Because, remember “ Elegance is not about being noticed, it is about being remembered”.
