Giorgio Armani and Lauren Hutton photographed by Isabelle Snyder on the island of Pantelleria
45 years ago Armani it was a surname, plain and simple. Today it is a recognized term in any part of the world thanks to Signore Armani – as even those closest to him call him –, a man on whose empire the sun never sets and whose imprint is so identifable that the noun became an adjective –“that is so Armani”– until, finally, constituting a true lifestyle.
Purity, distinction, sobriety. The most genuine essence of elegance condensed in a color, in a pattern , in the perfection of lines that soon found an adjective to match. But it was not the lineage that led Giorgio Armani to become "emperor", but the effort and passion.
Robert de Niro, Grace Hightower and Armani, in a photo from his personal album
“I have worked hard to build something authentic, concrete and that will last over time” , points out the Signore, who cannot hide the fact that he feels a certain pride when looking back: “Pride in creating a style that is immediately identifed as one's own”, The creator goes on to say that last December he received the Outstanding Achievement at the Fashion Awards in recognition of his entire career.
Giorgio Armani in Saint Tropez, in a photo from his personal album
It is in line with such a trajectory when we ask his opinion about the evolution that the world of fashion has undergone in recent years.
“Indisputably, fashion is linked to the spirit of the times, of which it is a manifestation. Through this lens, each period is extremely interesting”, he assures.
And it is that the designer has been able to witness –and participate– in many changes and events since he began his career in the sector, in 1975, when he founded his own firm together with Sergio Galeotti.
“From the eighties I loved the sometimes exaggerated liveliness; also the minimalism of the nineties which, on the other hand, were the years of the rejection of all excess”, judgment.
On the current context of fashion, he states that what he really likes is competition and fragmentation: “Today the styles are almost as numerous as the designers. There is a great variety and this is always a great encouragement”.
Table at the Armani Nobu restaurant in Milan, opened together with his friend Robert de Niro and Nobuyuki Matsuhisa
Stimulus that has never been lacking for this great forerunner of made in Italy, and this is how it is resoundingly demonstrated: "My work speaks for itself, and for me this is what is most important."
The heart of the empire beats him in the number 31 of Via Manzoni, in Milan, in a building that from the air exhibits a most revealing shape: the letter 'A'.
Coincidences aside, this palazzo houses a universe where we find all the lines of the firm -Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange-, accessories, cosmetics, a bookstore, a flower shop, the Emporio Armani Caffè & Ristorante, the Armani Nobu Japanese restaurant, the Armani Privé club and, of course, the Armani Hotel.
Giorgio Armani and Roberta, his inseparable niece, who has been working with him for years
“What I like most about my job has always been seeing the results of my creativity he comments.
"Creation, for me, means producing something that touches people's lives. It can be a jacket, or the impeccable service of an elegant hotel decoration. It can also be a good chocolate. What unites everything is my taste , my constant search for sophisticated and exciting simplicity. The more I work, the more inspired I feel.” explains the designer.
Milan, Tokyo, Dubai, Paris, New York... There are many cities where you can take a cappuccino or a risotto with the Armani seal. In all these places, the imprint of the signature remains unchanged.
Giorgio Armani and Lauren Hutton in Pantelleria
With this innate need to create, it's no wonder that Signore Armani's most comfortable place is his study, “Because it is there where I materialize my visions, where what is in my head becomes real and tangible. It's a really amazing feeling; **It always fills me with energy and adrenaline”,** he says.
At the same time, travel is also a great source of inspiration for him, although he is convinced of something, and to explain it he quotes Proust: "The true journey of discovery is not to seek new lands, but to have new eyes."
The designer claims that get to know exotic places, other cultures and aesthetics they have deeply enriched him over the years and all this has meant a great influence on his work and his collections.
Pieces from the permanent collection at Armani Silos
In fact, in addition to his Milanese apartment on Via Borgonuovo, he owns houses in Paris, Broni, Saint-Tropez, New York, St. Moritz, Antigua and on the Italian island of Pantelleria.
We ask him to tell us which are his favorite cities in the world and mention the joie de vivre of Paris: “It is a city that knows how to change, but that remains itself: a city that does not give up”.
She also alludes to tokyo and to all the beautiful memories he has of her since the first time he visited her in the late 1980s: “it is a place that continues to fascinate me because of its modernity and frenetic pace, where the new joins the tradition without contradictions”, says Signore Armani.
Emporio Armani Caffè & Ristorante, in Via Croce Rossa, Milan
However, if there's one city that tops your list, that's Milan : “It is my city, which I love deeply. It is the city where I have chosen to live and work, the one that has given me and continues to give me a lot”.
Just take a walk through its streets to realize how very “Armani” Milan is: monumental buildings guarded by statues from another century, marble columns flanking majestic porticoes, silent courtyards where perfection takes the form of stone and concrete...
It was in one of these corners where Giorgio Armani opened his first boutique in 1983, on Via Sant' Andrea. Nor can we overlook, in addition to Manzoni 31, the Galleries Vittorio Emmanuelle store, the advertising poster that remains unchanged at the intersection of Via Cusani and Via Borletto either Armani/Silos , where you can enjoy a permanent sample of the designer's career together with different temporary exhibitions.
One of the rooms at the Armani Hotel Milano
An exceptional example of the firm's universe can be found in Corso Venezia, in the Armani/Casa flagship store , whose four floors house all kinds of furniture and accessories for the home, from crockery, armchairs and rugs to fully equipped kitchens and bathrooms.
And among all of them, the Logo lamp, symbol of Armani/Casa: “It was the first design object I came up with in 1982. We launched the project in 2000, but even before that I wanted expand my aesthetic by applying it to interior design.
It was part of my dream propose a complete Armani lifestyle that could reflect my aesthetic philosophy in fields other than fashion” , concludes this emperor who, surely, still has many dreams to create and describe.
Armani/Casa corner, with the mythical Logo lamp engraved on the glass
*This report was published in the number 137 of the Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (March) . Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The February issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in ** its digital version to enjoy it on your preferred device. **