Giorgio Armani- A Fan's Tribute

There are so many designers that I love and get inspiration from. Each designer has something that totally inspires me to take things to the next level, and some also teach me how to pull it back. This designer has been my FAVORITE designer for as long as I can remember. His name is Giorgio Armani. My love for Giorgio Armani came from the Richard Gere/Lauren Hutton movie "American Gigilo". Richard's character, Julian (a high paid escort) only wore the finest clothes and Armani was a staple in his closet. In the opening scene, Julian is taking shirts that are neatly folded out of a drawer and tosses them on the bed. The shirts are in pastel and neutral colors and inside of the collar, you see the Giorgio Armani label. I was really young when I saw that movie, but that image stays in my mind whenever I think of Giorgio Armani. This was a feat he did five years after starting his label. He not only made Julian fashion forward and start the trend of Italian dressing in the States, he also got a huge boost of sales from it because wives, and girlfriends wanted to dress their husbands or boyfriends like Julian in the movie, and to look like Julian, you had to get Armani.

Giorgio Armani was born on July 11th, 1934 in Piancenza, Italy, a small city north of Milan. He was the second of three children. He wasn't a very good student in school, but he managed to get through it. He got his first job at La Rinascente, a department store in Milan. After working there for a bit, he got a job at Cerruti for six years becoming a fabric connoisseur in the process. With no formal fashion training and already 37, he set up his own label in 1975, with the help of his personal and professional business partner, Sergio Galeotti. The piece that started it all and is a mainstay in any collection is the deconstructed jacket, a jacket that was stripped of the lining and padding and became looser and more fluid. The early pieces were in neutral colors (brown, grey, beige, cream, greige (a combination of grey and beige)) and they were lighter. Elegance was no longer stuffy and casual, easy Italian style became all the rage in the States. Although there are many Italian brands out there (Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Pucci, Prada), they are all so different from Armani. Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Roberto Cavalli are very rock and roll, with studs, chiffon and plunging necklines. Pucci is wildly patterned and looks amazing on the beach or on the yacht. Prada is more arty, yet trendy. Armani is all about the same things when he started: clean lines, sharp tailoring, wearable and luxurious. No Armani piece has ever gone out of style. He doesn't stray too far away fro what works because to him, there's no need to. These pics are from the Spring Summer 2013 collection- womenswear.

While all of the other companies are owned by bigger corporations, Giorgio owns his company 100%. The secret to having longevity: He says that you must have clarity in your vision and he has that in spades. His company has been at the top for 37 years and now at 78, he shows no signs of slowing down. I hope to have my fashion line lasting like his. Here are some pics from his Spring Summer 2013 collection- menswear.

Stay fashionable and sexy!!!!