GIORGIO ARMANI – SPRING SUMMER 2018 – Milano Fashion Week
Synopsis
Born on July 11, 1934, in Italy, Giorgio Armani is an iconic clothing designer who has expanded his empire to include restaurants and hotels. His popularity skyrocketed in America in the 1980s when his men’s ‘power suits’ appeared frequently on the television series Miami Vice and in the 1980 film American Gigolo, which starred Richard Gere in Armani’s signature garb.
Early Life
Designer Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy. With his body-conscious yet understated clothing, Giorgio Armani has become one of the most popular names in fashion. He first launched his business empire in the mid-1970s, and it has grown substantially over the years. The Armani brand now includes makeup, housewares, books and hotels.
The son of a shipping manager, Armani grew up in a small town outside of Milan. It was a difficult time in Italian history. Giorgio and his two siblings—older brother Sergio and younger sister Rosanna—experienced the hardships of World War II firsthand. Some of his friends were killed during Allied bombings. “We were poor and life was tough,” he explained to Harper’s Bazaar. “The cinema in Milan was a refuge—a palace of dreams—and the movie stars seemed so glamorous. I fell in love with the idealized beauty of Hollywood stars.”
At an early age, Armani developed an interest in anatomy, making “dolls out of mud with a coffee bean hidden inside,” explained to the Guardiannewspaper. His fascination with the human form led to two years of medical study at the University of Piacenza. Taking a break from school, Armani had to complete his required military service. He soon got his first taste of fashion. “I was doing my military service and I had 20 days off on vacation in Milan,” he explained to Time magazine. Through a friend, he got a job at a department store. “I started assisting the photographer, designing the windows and things.”
