September 4, 2025 |
Following the announcement of Giorgio Armani’s death, read Claudia Croft’s interview with the design maestro, one of his very last, taken from 10 Men issue 62, out September 18.
Few designers reach legendary status, but Giorgio Armani, who recently turned 91, can rightfully claim it. He launched his eponymous label 50 years ago, with his effortless, radically relaxed look quickly becoming a shorthand for modern chic. The easy, elegant and beautifully crafted aesthetic he proposed was an instant hit and went on to sweep the fashion world. There’s not an ounce of doubt in the Armani look. Whether he’s applying it to womenswear, menswear, couture, hotels, jeans, underwear, fragrance or interiors, his handwriting is sure and unmistakable. Here, the peerless Italian designer talks to 10 Men about the world he’s shaped and looks to the future.
How do you think you’ve transformed fashion?
I’ve always placed people at the heart of my work by proposing a coherent vision that spans fashion and design and creates an aesthetic of sophisticated ease designed to stand the test of time. Along the way, I have consistently observed the world around me, remaining sensitive to shifts in society and, at times, even anticipating them.
Giorgio Armani opening the Armani Hotel Dubai, April 2010
You didn’t start your company until you were 41. What changed then?
I launched my brand after many years of hard work and experience. That gave me a clear sense of what I wanted to say and how I wanted to contribute to the fashion landscape of the time. What changed, and marked the turning point for me, was meeting [the architect and Armani co-founder] Sergio Galeotti, who believed in me. With him, the conditions aligned for me to launch my line: a perfect combination of maturity, complicity and good fortune.
The world is changing rapidly. How do you respond personally and professionally?
The only way to keep pace with a world that is changing constantly, ceaselessly and at an ever-accelerating speed is to observe it with both clarity and a certain scepticism. One must remain open to learning, never presuming to know everything, and have a clear and grounded vision.
How important is love and passion to your success? How does it motivate you?
Passion for my work has made me who I am. I have created – and continue to create – with love, in the hope of leaving something meaningful behind, and with the awareness that I have made my personal contribution to the evolution of clothing and the way people express themselves.
Giorgio Armani at his SS85 show
What is your advice to future generations of fashion designers?
My advice is always the same: work, work, work. Be serious and committed. Today, there’s a tendency to believe that success should arrive instantly thanks to a single [instance of] intuition. But that kind of success is often fleeting and can disappear just as quickly. Only dedication and hard work can build something that lasts. You need to have the idea, then develop it, expand it, refine it. It’s essential to believe in yourself, but also to stay connected to what’s happening in the world. Be tenacious. Be consistent.
When you think of the future what do you see? What excites you about it?
What excites me is that it’s still unwritten. Anything is possible. The future is a blank page, full of stories waiting to be told, and we can always write new and better ones. You have built a brand that has lasted 50 years so far.
What stands the test of time?
Simplicity. If you work by subtraction this ensures that what you create is built to last.
from left: Mr Armani at Giorgio Armani Privé SS05; Mr Armani in Tokyo, 2019
Giorgio Armani by the people who know him best
What is your favourite moment or memory involving Mr Armani or the Armani brand?
Rosanna Armani, Mr Armani’s sister
One of the most exciting moments for me was when I suggested the idea of the Emporio Armani magazine to him. Not a catalogue, but a real magazine with relevant content. The project ran from 1988 to 1998 and for Emporio’s 40th anniversary we published a new special issue called The Way We Are.
Leo Dell’Orco, head of the men’s style office for Armani
It was when I first met him, more than 40 years ago, while he was out walking in Milan with his dog Gigi, who ran up to me and greeted me enthusiastically as if he already knew me. Since then, I’ve always been by his side.
from left: his One Night Only Roma event in 2013, Giorgio Armani Privé SS10
Roberta Armani, Mr Armani’s niece
I think it was when my uncle dressed Diane Keaton in a men’s jacket for the 1978 Academy Awards. Diane won the Best Actress Oscar for Annie Hall that night. Her look caused a real stir: no actress had ever dressed like that before.
Silvana Armani, Mr Armani’s niece and head of the women’s style office for Armani
When he gave me the role of head of the women’s style office after training me by having me work alongside him. He respects my taste, my eye and my perspective in the development of the collections. We have a very natural and fluid relationship based on mutual respect.
Andrea Camerana, Mr Armani’s nephew
There have been many, but the launch of [the ethical initiative] Armani/Values two years ago meant a lot to me because it is a synthesis of the values I was fortunate to learn directly from my uncle and it also represented an opportunity for forward planning. Once again, I recognised the strength of Giorgio Armani’s ethical and stylistic vision, and his extraordinary ability to contextualise that vision.
Photography courtesy of Giorgio Armani, Piero Biasion and SGP. 10 Magazine’s 25 anniversary issue is out on newsstands September 15. Pre-order your copy here.
