The house of Armani, a vast Milanese palazzo on Via Borgonuovo, is also the home of Giorgio Armani himself, for, like Coco Chanel, whose private apartment was above her Paris boutique, the world of Armani does not distinguish between work and play.
There are several other striking similarities between Armani and Chanel—both the creators of empires that have spanned decades; both possessed of a clear vision of style that transcends fashion; both rising from humble origins to become the embodiment of their global brands. And so it is that I have come to Milan to meet Mr.
Armani like Mademoiselle Chanel, one seldom hears anyone call him by his first name. He is 80 years old, and, in an era of ever-expanding conglomerates, still remains the sole owner of his multibillion-dollar business, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and continues to show rising sales figures around the world.
The interview has taken months to arrange; Mr. Armani has a relentless work schedule, as he retains control of all of his collections, the catwalk shows, the advertising campaigns, the retail network, and the factories that make his products.
Despite the wide expanse of windows, and the flickering embers of an open fire, the first impression is of darkness, of somber furniture and an air of hush.
A black cat sits on the sofa, and turns her head when her master enters the room, purring at his arrival. Were it not for his white hair—gleaming as a silver fox—Mr. Armani himself might disappear into the shadows, so soft are his footsteps, so quiet his voice, so self-effacing his clothes.
He wears, as always, a midnight-blue T-shirt and navy trousers; his face is tanned, his body toned from a daily exercise regime in his personal gym. When you wake up in the morning, you need to know that somebody else is waking up, thinking of you.
The cat's name, he tells me, is Angel. Be careful stroking her, he warns—she likes it, "but only a little. Cats are very independent creatures. But within this room, says Mr. Armani, is where he is most relaxed.
Yet this is the part I feel that represents me the best. Whenever I come home from work I spend half an hour here, perhaps with the television on, or in front of the fireplace …" He gestures to the eclectic collection of ornaments around us: coral and shells from the Seychelles, Oriental porcelain figures and puppets, a glass sphere that looks like a fortune-teller's globe.
Most unexpected of all is the larger-than-life gorilla that stands in one corner, brooding over the room.
Armani fondly. He then joined the staff of Nino Cerruti as a designer. With the encouragement of his friend Sergio Galeotti, Armani started to do freelance design work for other companies as well. Armani and Galeotti became business partners, founding Giorgio Armani S. The company's first collection — a men's clothing line — debuted that year.
Armani launched a women's collection the following year, which received a warm reception. His clothes were revolutionary at the time, introducing a more natural fit and using a subtle color palette. I believed in neutral colors," he later told WWD. While his designs were popular in Europe, Armani didn't make a big splash in America until His clothes were worn by actor Richard Gere in the film American Gigolo , which helped generate a lot of interest in Armani.
He also provided much of the wardrobe for the hit television series Miami Vice , starring Don Johnson. During the s, wearing Armani became a symbol of success for many business professionals.
They especially sought out the brand's "power suits. Armani, however, suffered a great personal and professional loss in when he lost longtime friend and business partner Galeotti to AIDS.
While some thought that the business might suffer after Galeotti's death, Armani showed the world that he was just as talented as an executive as he was as a designer. Armani expanded his operations, opening his first restaurant in The brand is built on 3 pillars: class, quality and exclusivity.
Its product lines cover all corners of fashion, including apparel, swimwear, accessories, perfume, cosmetics, watches, eye wear, bags and shoes for men, women and kids. Giorgio Armani is very expansive in Asia Pacific with its multiple future growth markets for luxury brands. For example, China is embracing premium fashion and luxury goods at an increasing pace, and Giorgio Armani has been one of the forerunners to exploit the market potential. Unlike the usual practices of branding that are normally seen in the consumer goods industry, the branding philosophy in the fashion and luxury goods industry is quite unique and personality based.
Most of the famous fashion houses like Christian Dior, Yves Saint-Laurent, Gucci, Versace and many others were built on the personality of the founders.
As design is the most important ingredient of fashion and luxury apparel, the individual style of these designers becomes crucial to creating and sustaining the fashion brand strategy. It is these unique designs and patterns that reflect the personality of their creator that gives an identity to the brand and helps to differentiate it from the crowd.
The Giorgio Armani fashion house, like many other fashion houses, has been built primarily on the unique personality and identity of Giorgio Armani himself. The brand takes on the identity of the founder through the designs created. Though this aspect of the fashion industry provides fashion houses with a strong sense of differentiation that can be conveyed in a tangible and visual form, it also poses a serious threat.
Whenever a brand gains popularity and acceptance from its target customers in its core business, the next obvious step for the brand is to charter a new course by venturing into different product lines, different segments, and ever different markets. This phenomenon seems common across industry sectors. Giorgio Armani with its iconic popularity amongst the elite of the society and the fashion literate segment of the market has followed similar steps by extending the brand.
Today the Armani brand architecture encompasses one corporate brand and three sub-brands, each catering to different sets of target customers and at different price levels.
The signature Giorgio Armani line: This is the main collection of very high quality classic apparel that consists of the signature Armani suits, Oscar gowns and so on, which are of the ultra-premium price points and essentially targeting consumers in the 35 to 50 year old age group. Emporio Armani: Targeted especially at the young professional segment in the 25 to 35 year old age group, the Emporio Armani brand provides fashionable and contemporary designs that are relevant to the target customers.
Milan and wore the number 7 jersey. It was created for everyone who loves exceptional style and wants to maximize their experience from sporting activity. This fashion label caters to a wide range of sport including running, fitness, golf and winter sports. This serves as the ultimate testimony to the power of the brand. By providing the entire range of its apparels and accessories, Armani Exchange provides customers with the complete feel of the luxurious fashion of Giorgio Armani.
In , the Armani Group completed its 3-year streamlining transformation and has discontinued the following lines:.
It offers gala and award-show wear including gowns and suits that are ultra-luxurious, exemplifying the understated chic that epitomizes the essence of the Giorgio Armani brand. This line is almost exclusively targeted at the rich and famous.
This basically caters to the segment of people who aspire to wear high quality Armani apparel but cannot afford the ultimate signature line, or to those who crave to add extra products to their existing portfolios. Armani Jeans: This is the lowest range of Armani apparel. This Armani brand is to the value segment what the signature line is to the premium segment. In the latest collection, he defined the design type as being inspired by poetry sensibility.
That is why mostly all the models are made to be more comfortable and adaptable. The brand has everything that you might want, from caps to glasses, belts, ties, wallet, document holder, gloves, wash bags. The list can continue with more than 10 types of accessories, so whatever the necessity or event you have to prepare for, Armani is the number one place to look for what you need. At Giorgio Armani luxury brand, you can find small bags, mini bags or handbags, in all kinds of aesthetics you desire.
The real Armani bag will let you unzip it easily, while the fake ones will get stuck after repeating the process for some time. Actually, it is a versatile bag situated in between a small and full-size bag. Moreover, It has a magnetic flap, adjustable strap and the material used for it is Palmellato.
The simple details make the bag really versatile and offer a clean look. Giorgio Armani sunglasses continue to shock in a matter of luxurious designer frames and glass. They are quite affordable and offer an elegant and professional vibe, mixed with elegance and timeless classic fashion types.
Boots, lace-ups, loafers, slip-ons, sneakers, and sandals. Also, the styles are trendy, classic, elegant, and luxurious.
Armani belts are known as the finest Italian belts nowadays. Their contemporary style, the easily adaptable tones, and subtle sophistication, found in many sizes and colors, climb up the Armani heritage of being the best luxury designer that Italy has ever produced. In the Giorgio Armani beauty sector, you can find makeup products, skincare products, and of course, the Armani fragrances.
This sector is very diverse the makeup range has all a woman needs for a complete makeup routine, in a matter of luxury make-up experience.
0コメント