GIORGIO ARMANIGIORGIO ARMANI

Designer Analysisby Sophia “Stevie” Otap

Designer Analysisby Sophia “Stevie” Otap

HISTORY

Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934 in the town of Piacenza, Italy. He had two siblings, a mother and a

father. Armani’s childhood dream was to be a doctor. In the 1950s, he attended medical school, but had to leave after

two years for the military. There, he worked in the hospital, and it convinced him he did not want to be a doctor.

After the army, he went to work in a department store in Milan called La Rinascente. He worked

primarily in the menswear department, gaining experience. He floated from store to store through the 1970s. Around

1973, he began doing freelance design work for fashion houses, and his work was so impressive that he was featured in

a Florence runway show. In 1975, he finally founded Giorgio Armani Spa, featuring mainly menswear, but also some

womenswear.

In 1978 he began producing luxury pieces under the supervision of Gruppo Finanzario Tessile’s designer.

The following year, the Giorgio Armani Corporation was acclaimed enough to start designing for the USA public.

Throughout the ‘80s, he went on to include perfume, denim, junior’s, accessories, activewear, underwear, and

swimwear to his lines. In the ‘90s, he took Asia by storm. Today, Giorgio Armani is a worldwide fashion legend

known for his high-end products.

SIGNATURE DESIGN ELEMENTS

• clean

• simple

• soft

• feminine

• unstructured

• strong, but not harsh

• black and white

• earth tones

• dusty blues

• elegant

• decorative

• accessible

• unique

• chic

• understated

• androgyny

• relaxed

• neutral

• sexy

• trend-avoidant

DEMOGRAPHICS

Age: 25-50

Gender: Male

Family size: Any

Stages in family life cycle: All

Income: $150,000+

Education: College+

Religion: Any

Ethnicity: Any

PRICE RANGEArmani sells a variety of products, from perfumes to watches to home

goods to clothing. Factoring all his lines, the overall price range is roughly

around $50-$25,000.

SIZE RANGE

FIBERS, FABRICS, QUALITY

Linen, silk and cotton are the primary fabrics used, because they are quality

fibers that are comfortable. Armani is all about quality. I don’t believe he would

sacrifice quality for anything. For example, in 2007 he swore off fur due to PETA’s

influence, but in 2008 he could no longer resist the luxurious quality of fur and

incorporated it in his fall line -- even for babies!

PRESENTATION

What caught my eye the most was the effortless combination of luxury and

comfort. It’s such an ingenious idea, and I commend him for being the pioneer of

combining the two facets. The clothing looks and feels comfortable, without being

sloppy or subtracting at all from the sophistication.

PRESENTATION( what caught my eye )

ARMANI INFLUENCED...

...Tom Ford of Gucci, Miuccia Prada, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico

Dolce. They admire the elegance, the combining of impeccable tailoring with high-

tech stretch fabrics. In the late ‘90s and early 2000s, Gucci came out with a collection

including high-waist fluid trousers, with a flow of fabrics over boots, inspired by the

smooth ease of Armani.

HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE

Giorgio Armani is timeless, and manages to upkeep the latest looks each season, each

decade. I believe his peak was the ‘90s, during which his active/casualwear really

took off. This was also when he reached out to the mass-market and made more

affordable clothing. Additionally, he was the first living designer to have an

exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum.

SIMILAR RETAILERS

Calvin Klein . Ralph Lauren . Michael Kors . Brooks Brothers

GIORGIO ARMANI a legend