Giorgio Armani, sus 90 yearsstill remembers how fashion became a unexpected vocationbut definitive, that would mark his life. Although his professional path began in medicine, there was always a latent connection with the style and the aesthetics. In an interview with the Spanish edition of Esquirewhen asked about his first memory linked to fashion, responded by evoking the elegance of his father and the naturalness of his mother…
“My father was always very elegant, always in a suit, and my mother also dressed very well. She was a woman who didn’t like to wear makeup, although I once convinced her to do it for a photo. She had style and natural beauty”.
When looking for powerful influences on what would be his aesthetic perception, the iconic designer will talk about cinema. With nostalgia, he recalled: “Those movie stars that I saw on the big screen, in Milan, seemed much more spectacular than in real life. Without a doubt they marked part of my aesthetic memory.” Glamorous images that became an imaginary that he himself would recreate in his work by dress the great figures of Hollywood.
Memories of his childhood in Italy and his parents’ particular style laid the foundation for what would become his lifelong passion. Armani describes how it was his family environment that provided him with his first lessons in style, and defines him with admiration as a legacy of authenticity and simplicity.
Armani’s childhood was marked by a discreet and elegant style that guided him towards timeless fashion. However, throughout his career, it was other figures who helped define and consolidate his vision of fashion. The designer recognizes the profound influence that designers Gabrielle Chanel and Jeanne Lanvin had on his work, especially Chanel. “I owe a lot to those visionaries of the 20th century who conceived a fashion for the modern era that was also for all times,” he noted.
For him, the greatness of the French fashion house lay in her ability to simplify forms and explore the use of masculine fabrics in feminine garments. “I used masculine fabrics for feminine garments.” -Armani explains-. “He explored simplicity in lines and shapes and saw elegance as something related to effectiveness.”. That same search for simplicity and functionality, away from flashy colors, was taken by the young Italian designer and shaped his vision of what authentic elegance should be: a fashion that prioritizes the purity of the lines and a sober palette, with “no color” as a symbol of distinction.
Over five decades, Armani followed that same principle, cultivating a style characterized by its consistency and its clarity. His minimalist and elegant approach responds to a philosophy that he never lost sight of: that of making garments that exalt the essence of the wearer without overwhelming their personality.. Inspired by Chanel, but with his own creative voice, Armani maintained a subtle evolution in his work, but always faithful to a functional and sober aesthetic that he himself defined from his first days in the industry.
Before dedicating his life completely to fashion, Armani began his studies in medicinea field that seemed to be very far from the glamor of the catwalks and design. However, this brief foray into the world of science left him with knowledge that would become essential for his work as a designer.
In it feels like this: “If you are going to dress the body, you must understand a little how it is proportioned and how it moves”. This understanding of human anatomy and proportions was, perhaps, an unexpected lesson that became a competitive advantage in his career.
Did your medical training influence that? “The truth is, not much,” he admits. But he recognizes that his unique vision of the human body, acquired in those early years, allowed him to design garments that not only look good, but also accompany and promote the body’s natural mobility. Each garment in his work is designed to enhance the figure without compromising comfort or freedom of movement.concepts that, in some way, are connected to their training in science.
One of the defining moments in the designer’s career was his entry into the world of cinema. Their collaboration in the film American Gigolo (1980), from Paul Schradermarked the beginning of a long-lasting relationship with Hollywood and the seventh artconsolidating its status as a reference designer for great figures of the screen. Armani remembered this experience as a milestone in his career: “It was a great moment. “It allowed me to see how powerful a relationship with the seventh art could be.”. Since then, dressed stars in more than 100 filmsdemonstrating his ability to adapt his sober and elegant style to characters of all genres, establishing himself as the designer who changed the male image in popular culture.
Armani is aware that the fashion industry is moving at a frenetic pacedemanding constant novelties and radical transformations each season. However, he chose to follow his own path, staying true to a vision that, over the years, has barely changed.
Dice: “At the beginning I imagined and defined a style that I have followed with perseverance and dedication. “It has remained essentially unchanged, evolving almost imperceptibly over time.” His approach, based on clear principles, allows him to resist the pressure to change without reason, showing that, for him, fashion is more about authenticity than novelty.
For the designer, True style is not in unattainable pieces or exclusivity, but in fashion’s ability to connect with everyday life.. “For me, fashion is never escape but reality: always,” he stated, underlining his desire to create garments that can be worn by ordinary people in their daily lives.
“I was never interested in fashion as expensive pieces that people can aspire to,” he added. Armani believes that style should be a personal and accessible expressionallowing those who wear it to feel comfortable in their own skin and reflect their true identity. Fashion, under his vision, takes on meaning in real life, among ordinary people, and not in a distant ideal.
For someone so revered, the question is: where does he find the inspiration for those creations that generate sighs in his footsteps? “Everywhere. In cinema, in art, in music, in my travels and observing people, contemporaries in their daily lives”he says with simplicity and breadth.
Attentive observation of his surroundings is a constant practice in Armani’s life, as he imagines what people would be like if he dressed them, observing every detail of their behavior, from how they speak to how they eat. This connection with real life and the small details of everyday life nourishes her creativity and allows her to design garments that fit the real needs of her clients, with a functional style that lasts over time and transcends passing fashions.
Throughout his career, the Italian has built a trusted team to which he delegates tasks, recognizing the importance of surround yourself with people who share your vision and commitment. However, the designer defines himself as a perfectionist, getting involved in every step of the creative process, from design to production and communication of his brand.
“I have a great team of people around me that I trust. However, I am a self-confessed perfectionist and I approach my work with an energetic enthusiasm that makes me like to get involved in all its aspects,” he explains. This balance between leadership and control ensures that every detail of his work faithfully reflects his creative identity, maintaining the quality and coherence that characterize him.
For him, fashion is much more than a job: it is a channel of expression that allowed him to create his “own aesthetic universe.” Although he admits that this dedication cost him sacrifice personal time, he does not regret having dedicated his life to this industry that he considers his true passion.
“Fashion provided me with a channel that allowed me to express my imagination and creativity.”says the designer, highlighting that this world gave him the opportunity to develop a unique and recognizable style. However, he recognizes that the intensity of his work robbed him of the opportunity to dedicate himself to other things. “What it took away from me was time for other things. But I have never regretted it, because there is nothing I would have preferred to dedicate myself to,” he declared.
In each design, Armani captures a part of himself, making fashion become a refuge where he can explore and build a personal aesthetic, a style that he himself defines as the “Armani lifestyle”characterized by elegance, functionality and a focus on authenticity that has marked its legacy in contemporary fashion.
In the digital age, the role of influencers It became fundamental in fashion, but the Italian is skeptical of this phenomenon. Although he recognizes its ability to generate interest, he affirms that prefers an influence based on genuine talent, beyond popularity on social networks. “They generate interest, without a doubt, and they have their place in the digital age in which we live. But I prefer the idea of influential people because of their talent. Those are the real influencers.”, he expressed. His approach privileges authenticity and merit, values that he considers essential in the world of fashion, over ephemeral fame.
Armani, with his vast experience in fashion, offers a clear message to those who aspire to follow in his footsteps in the industry: dedication, authenticity and a constant search for one’s own creative voice. He advises young designers: “Naturally, study fashion if that’s what you’re passionate about. But be prepared for hard, constant, incessant work.”
For him, success in design is not based only on talent, but on tireless persistence and a firm will to develop one’s own identity, independent of passing trends.
Likewise, it highlights the importance of believe in yourself and in the chosen pathwarning that fashion is a “long journey that will require dedication and motivation”. This advice underlines his vision of fashion as a rigorous and committed profession, in which Each designer must forge their own style with rigor and authenticityinstead of trying to adjust to what the market dictates.
