Giorgio Armani changed the way people dress in many ways that are hard to list. He made a lasting mark on fashion. For men, he made suits look softer; for women, he made them look stronger.
His name is closely connected with luxury. Celebrities like Jessica Lang, Lady Gaga, and Gwyneth Paltrow have worn his designs on the red carpet for a long time. However, Armani passed away on September 4 in Milan, Italy, at the age of 91.
Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy. Growing up during World War II, he had originally pursued a career in the medical field. But it was after his military service that he began his career in fashion. In 1975, he founded his luxury fashion house in Milan. It was not long after that the movie American Gigolo helped make him a household name, at least in the United States. It was in the film that Richard Gere wore a more relaxed single-breasted, two-button brown Armani jacket. The film features the suit at the beginning, when he enters a boutique.
It was a streamlined silhouette, which was uncommon in men’s fashion. Armani’s jackets did not traditionally use padding and shifted away from the more commonly used colors, such as blue and black. Unlike the famous sculptures we see in museums, he sculpted with a casual silhouette and softer colors.
With women, he saw an opportunity as they began to enter the workforce. There was a need to dress equally to men, with the power behind the suit.
He began to offer an alternative to the stiff and puffy dresses that mothers of the time wore to work. Instead, their daughters wore suits that oozed femininity and made a statement of equality.
It was then that he went on to dress stars on the red carpet and design costumes for film and television shows. Some of his notable features are The Untouchables and Miami Vice. In The Untouchables, you see three-piece suits with wide-brimmed hats and pleated wide-leg pants. Here, he’s trying to sell a vintage look to the audience. He wasn’t going for historically accurate clothing, since some features look more like the 1940s than the early 1930s.
Something that men didn’t typically wear was pastel colors, and it was in Miami Vice that we saw this trend begin to happen. The style became very relaxed, popularized, and unstructured. With this unstructured jacket that you would combine a t-shirt, and it revolutionized men’s wear. It became a mixture between business and casual, and we can see this in many other movies.
It was in 1990 that Julia Roberts accepted a Golden Globe for Steel Magnolias, and she wore an oversized grey suit with a purple tie. LAist describes it as “A subversive, sexy fashion choice well outside of the confines of extravagant, floor-length gowns.”
Within a decade he had become one of the biggest-selling European designers in the U.S. After clothes, he began to innovate glasses, sportswear, cosmetics, and accessories— especially sportswear, euronews says, “First with Milan basketball, his first love, and then with the uniforms he designed for many football teams: Piacenza, Chelsea, the English national team, and most recently Serie A champions, Napoli.” His uniforms will make an appearance at the 2026 Winter Games as well.
He began to design hotels as well, opening Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. And another luxury hotel opened in Milan the following year.
His modern-day designs continue to bewilder not only the fashion world but the world as a whole. Some of the last posts on the official Armani Instagram show just what he was always working towards. One shows Keith Powers in a trimmed white suit with black trimmed slacks. The suit features a clear silhouette. Such as a dress that would show off curves. The jacket shows the masculine physique.
Another shows Lorena Rae in a very powerful and sexy suit. Though it is partially obscured, we can see that it’s form-fitting. One that doesn’t look too tight or too big, but instead feels personalized. Reminding us of Cinderella’s gown in the film. It’s made just for her and to be just right. We see a partially folded collar, but it is buttoned all the way up. There is no illusion as to what may be underneath, as it’s about what they are currently wearing. You can ooze sex appeal without being revealing.
It is through all this and so much more that Armani never really leaves the Earth. If those who work for him continue to do exactly what he wishes, we can expect suits and dresses that bedazzle us — and there is no doubt that many will want to follow in his footsteps. With inspired minds, we are a captive audience. Giorgio Armani will be missed and praised continuously.
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