Fashion insider Mr Armani will dress you now
With an A-list clientele book spanning 40 years and bursting with stars, Giorgio Armani rules the red carpet – and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.
giorgio Armani is widely regarded as the ‘inventor’ of red-carpet dressing. In 1980, just five years after launching his label, Giorgio was called in to dress a relatively unknown actor: Richard Gere, the star of American Gigolo. The job became an effective, albeit unintended, advert for his fledging brand. In the decades since, Giorgio has dressed everyone from Céline Dion and Beyoncé to Millie Bobby Brown, and he makes nothing short of a sartorial clean sweep at the Oscars, often dressing Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress nominees like Nicole Kidman and Viola Davis. His most celebrated red-carpet look of all time? Jodie Foster’s simple yet elegant tuxedo jacket at the 1992 Oscars. “I suggested she wear it, and she trusted me,” he says. We grilled the fashion kingpin on his golden rules for life and style.
Clientele is crucial
My link with Hollywood began in 1980, when screenwriter Paul Schrader called me to dress the little-known Richard Gere, who embodied my style perfectly. The powerful influence actors could have on the public was clear from the start. From there, it was a natural progression to dressing stars for the red carpet, where old Hollywood glamour still reigned supreme.
“It’s not just a look, but a way of being, which expresses the wearer’s strength and self-awareness.”
They were all young actors seeking a new public image. Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton and Jodie Foster were my first clients.
Say ciao to the rules
I do not like conformism. I remember one occasion very well: it was the 1989 Oscars, and Michelle Pfeiffer wore a blue suit. It was simple, it suited her well and she wore it with great aplomb. It was a radically different image and it was very well received, judging from the enquiries afterwards. The masculine look, reimagined in a feminine version, and worn by a woman with elegance and class, is perhaps my most successful contribution to fashion. It’s not just a look, but a way of being, which expresses the wearer’s strength and self-awareness.
Awards season is key
Seeing Nicole Kidman choosing to wear my designs on the red carpet at the 2017 Oscars, and witnessing Viola Davis collecting her Best Actress in a Supporting Role award in one of my dresses, were priceless moments. Awards season is always a very important time and a showcase for any fashion house.
Work case-by-case
Every celebrity has their own character, and I work around that. My job is simple yet complex: devising a special look that enhances them and makes them unforgettable. And this applies to all young, and less young actors and actresses. Working with Millie Bobby Brown was really inspiring, because she is mature far beyond her 14 years. I designed the dress I thought would be right for her, and even I was surprised at the result. Millie wore Armani in a way that was incredibly fresh and new.
Do it for the love of it
I like fashion because it forces you to keep going and to observe what’s going on around you. This is why I love my job and why I devote myself to it with passion. My days are really intense, but dividing my attention between many different things is an invaluable stimulus. It gives me energy, and I still face new challenges with the same enthusiasm I had right from the start.
The motivation for this is always the same: to create something that makes a difference, that lasts over time, that responds to a need and expresses an idea of what beautiful is.