GIORGIO ARMANI: „THE ELEGANCE IS MIXTURE
OF THE SPIRIT, THE CULTURE AND THE INTELLIGENCE.“
Lubomir Stoykov
Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934, in Piacenza, Italy.
Before going to military service, he attended medical school for two years. After he fulfilled his military obligations, in the years 1954- 1960, he became a window-dresser ia a prestigious department store, La Rinascente.Next ten years he was working with Nino Cerutti. During the period 1970-1975 he made designer project for „Emanuel Ungaro“ and „Ermenegildo Zegna“. In 1974, together with Sergio Galeotti, he establishe his first fashion house, specialised in men`s wear label. Their partnership lasted with Sergio Galeotti dead in 1985. Giorgio Armani added to his collection a women`s wear line in 1975.
Since 1981 he had promoted the sport lines „Emporio Armani“ and „Armani Jeans“, and in 1987 he made the accessible women`s version “Mani“. Nowadays Armani has more than 2 000 boutiques all over the world and his year - sales overvalue one billiard dollar.The margin of profit only for 1999 is $ 135 million. According to „Forbs“ magazine he was the most successful designer in the world in 2000.
In 2002 his net worth was established at $ 1,7 billion, which made him 6th of the richest Italians and 236th of the richest people in the Planet. In 2005 Giorgio Armani debutated in Paris with his haute couture line „Prive“. Armani won the prize „Neiman Markus“ (1979) and the reward of „Cutty Shark“ for 1980, 1981, 1984 and 1985. In 1987 he became „Honourable cavalier of Republic of Italy“ and in 1988 he won the reward „Christobal Balensiaga“.
We can hear and read for Armani not only pompus superlatives like „emperor of fashion“, „king of fashion“, „the most magnificent fashion dictator“, but also not less engaged definitions like „the sad prince“, „the master of the depressive elegance“, „number one in fashion“, „the big Milanese“, „Milanese master“ and so on. How really is expressed the genius of the maestro? Are there and which are his postulates? What makes Armani different from the others? Is ther any reason to characterise him like an unusual successor and continuer of the aesthetics of Coco Chanel and Yves Sen- Loran? Or maybe he is a successor of one other great Italian, who influenced on the world development of design, but he died too young- Walter Albini?
He contributed to design because he was one of the first , who began to devide their wear lines into different themes- by age or status. He took into concideration the circumstances that society is getting more youth and free, and also the fact that his simple and elegant style is liked not only from the rich people, but also from those with less incomes.
Nowadays the contemporary city- life and the anonymity of thousands and million inhabitants of the megapolis reflect on all his creations.Even though there are some remarks from colleagues and competitors that Armani doesn`r have any discovery in the contemporary fashion, he deserves the highest admirations because- tipically in his style- quiet and imperceptible- he fascinates with his new stylistics the taste and desires of huge quality of connoisseures and users.
HE DRESSED WOMEN LIKE MEN
Giorgio Armani explains his creative success with his ideal to dress women in men`s coats. The inspiration of the designer is complex- on one hand, this is the daily round, the city- life and bistros, the sport and the new negligee style of living, on the other- the emblematic names of movie stars, who are highly rspected from Armani- Greta Garbo and Marlene Ditrich.Or Cary Grand, defined by Armani like „the best dressed man in the movie history“, and „the worst dressed, but the most genious and scandalous man“- Orson Wells.
According to the modern English critic and historian professor Colin MacDowell, the Italian designer is a great representative of minimalism in the elegance at the end of 20 century and he left trends completely different from Vivienne Westwood`s and designers like her.Central creative principles of Giorgio Armani are the sheer and expensive materials- cashmere, wool and silk. He is at the opinion that beautiful clothes must be expensive.Generally in his designer work he defends the idea for elegance and beauty, based on the men`s wear line.That`s why in his work Armani realises the principle of masculine biginning in women`s wear and by deconstracting of men`s suit he emancipate women`s style.He is satisfying the necessity of the soft sex with adequate and realistic fashion. We should trust to his statement that: „Armani gave to his suit women`s expression and was the first who understood the dominating direction in the fashion world. As a resul, his suits with trousers influenced a lot on all the levels of fashion in 80s, including all his themes made for other designers from the world fashion industry.“ It is reasonably pointed out that Milanese creator laid the foundations of universal formula, which fascinated all the world so much- his suits look perfect to any kind of figure. The silk makes them look absolutely feminine. Armani became a classic with his introduction of the round collars.The fashion world is fascinated by Armani`s colour selection for his soft wool tweedies. Which are these colours?It is about his colouristic preferences like grey- brown, beige, grey and stone- colour. Armani`s clothes are a summery of the Italian refined elegance for more than 20 years. He managed to catch the spirit of his country and to answer the needs of the world so perfect that his suits became a trade makr of Italy. This was the greatest success of his sicret „men`s“ elegance.
ON A WHITE HORSE IN PARIS
In January 2005 Giorgio Armani made his debute in the high fashion not anywhere else but in Paris. After the scandalous cancel of his fashion review in Sena,1998 (for reasons of security the French authority blocked the review for collection autumn- winter 1998- 1999, hours before the show was gonna started on Sen- Sulpis square) Armani was waiting for the momen to entrance Paris on a white horse.“ In a momen of strong agony of French high fashion and lack of fashion houses like „Ungar“, „Givenchy“, „Yves Sen-Loran“ and „Versace“, Armani demonstrated for first time his high- crestions right in the French capital. His collection „Prive“ spring- autumn 2005 was met with a lot of mixed feelings and statements that those models were the same which he had shown in Milan in the autumn, 2004. Such a statement was radiculous because Armani prepared carefully for his French debute. His high fashion is impressed by his traditional minimalistic principle, dominating is the most simple silhouette and the oficial, convival and evening twang. Luxurious fabrics- shifon, double silk, sateen, tulle in a combination with precious stones, colourful crystals, black amber and parti- coloured pearls- materialised the idea of the king of fashion. Armani deliberately avoided the heavy and fussy silhouette so he could give more freedom to the elegance of the modern woman.
AESTHETIC CONCEPTION AND PHILOSOPHY
How the great Italian is iventing and changing the formula of elegance through the years? What is dominating in his conception? Can we talk about a united conception depending on historical, logical, aesthetic, cultural and designer principles? Isn`t it his idea for the elegance one dimanic and at the same time terrestrial model in which the form of the clothes is defined by the convenience, perfect line and refined minimalism? What makes him bow down before the classic and the reserve and at the same time enrich them in his own way?...As a rule the artists and mastors of style are not obligated to be able to make conceptions on their creations. Armani`s laconism towards his work passed into a proverb. Even though, directly- from his own reasonings and answers to journalistic questions or indirectly- throught analyses and comments of fashion historians and experts, can be roughly made the lines of the designer`s conception for elegance, fashion or more correctly said- for adequacy in the dress manner at the end of 20 and the beginning of 21 century.
THE ELEGANCE LIKE A VISUAL ARGUMENTATION OF SPIRITUAL EXACTINGNESS
From all the statements, passant hints and defenitions of elegance we can realise something very important.That`s the fact that for Armani the elegance is not a simple property of the clothes or the ability of a person to dress good. For him it is a result of the entire culture and style of behavior of a person. He doesn`t separate the elegance from the behavior and the acts, because it is not a superficial sign, but a deep, inside immanent characteristic of a person.
Such kind of philosophy destroys all the stupid statements that there is no connection between the perfect outlook and the ability of a person to form and defend his own style. According to Armani the elegance is the visual argumentation of the inside spiritual exactingness of beauty and the way of finding your own original expression. Armani claimed: „The elegance is a way of clothing. But before getting to this elegance of the final visual effect, there is elegance which is mixture of the spirit, the culture and the intelligence. This is the elegance of acts, movements and the step. And as an end, the elegance is the top of the ability to choose your own style.“
The designer goes too deep in his interpretations of fashion and the person`s ability to choose the right for his mentality, culture, disposition and emotiveness clothes and accessories. He is using key words like: „the clothes are instruments“, „dress code“, „aesthetic reality“, „fellowship betweet the designer and the customers“, and so on. There is innocent fashion fetishism in Armani`s style. The exaltation of the clothes` role and the searching of a connection between the creator and the users just enforce the meaning of the genius in fashion design.
TO CONQUER HOLLYWOOD
What is common between Anet Bening, Glen Close, Donald Sutherland, Dustin Hoffman, Eric Clapton, Isabella Rosselini, Claudia Cardinale, Michael Phifer, Nick Nolte, Ornella Mutti, Richard Gere, Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Sofia Loren, Winona Rider, Whoopi Goldberg and a lot of more movie stars and showmen.This is Armani.The date show that Armani prepared very assiduously to attack Hollywood and to contact personally the celebrities- famous actors and actresses favourite to all the world. His PR and experts of the special events like Lee Radziwill- sister of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and ex- princess- helped him a lot. In different periods the designer was author of costumes for emblematic movies. His first appearance like costum- maker was for „American gigolo“, and some of his last movies were „48 hours“ and „The unapproachable“.
In the early 90s one big dream of Armani came true, he started to dress Sofia Loren. Till that time the unfading movie icon trusted for her style to Valentino. The variety or the chance of someone else, more current, taking care of her wear, made Sofia Loren change her private designer with Giorgio Armani. The designer himself was so happy of that fact that he showed his happiness in public: „Sofia is so feminine that noone can resist her for a long time. She had to change her way of dressing and I am glad she chose me. I have been dreaming for that moment and I don`t hide that I was preparing her „escape“ for a long time. I will offer her something unusual like for a goddess.“
The definition of Glen Close at the night of Oscars, describes very precisely how she felt in Armani`s clothes (she was nominated as the best actress in „Fatal Attraction“) :“ When I am with „Armani“, I feel different from the others.His clothes make me look better and at the same time they are showing who am I. The clothes focus on you.“
Step by step Giorgio Armani realised the effect of being in the limelight not only of the fashion magazines, but also of the world media. He understood what is the feeling when your name is cited by the highest social, political, iconomical and cultural publications and programms, when your name is written not at the end of the movie, but at the beginning- just after the names of the main characters. The conception of becoming famous with the help of already reached popularity, namely with the vision of those, who are known and loved by everyone in the world, is very effective. It relies on the already made communication channels, the stereotypes of the mass- awareness and of course on the personal charisma of each famous star.
THE REFUSAL OF THE MODELS
Each designer has his professional principles for his work with models- pretty women and men from whose charm, step and expression depends the success of th collection and the impression of all the audience, media and customers. Unlike most of the famous fashion designers who at the end of 80s and in 90s of the last century were giving crazy money for topmodels like Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Elle Macpherson (some of them are Gianni Versace, Karl Lagerfeld, Gianfranco Ferre and Valentino, Yves Sen-Loran and John Galiano) Giorgio Armani wasn`t a slave of the mania to show his creations with the help of stars` names. This doesn`t mean that he underestimate the topmodels` role in the reviews, promotions and addvertisments. There are enough proofs for his extreme exactingness in his sellection and work with models, as well as some fovourite model names of him. But these are not the names of any expensive models, whose fabulous prices sound really absurd.
What makes Armani so different from Versace, who spent millions only to gather the ten most famous models in his reviews and addvertisememnts? This can be explained by the reservedness and simplecity of Armani`s style, his high guality fabrics, new artistic and negligee silhouettes, and the perfect cuts. He doesn`t want to reach the success thanks to the glamorous faces and figures, known all around the world. Later on we will see that Armani`s attitude towards the Hollywood stars is not the same and he is not against them to wear his brand. We can often hear his words that models don`t have to overshadow the fashion, just the other way round- they have to let the clothes be notable and attractive. Armani claimed to the press that even from the very beginning he refused to engage topmodels: „Now when their fame is passing away ,I own up that I already paid for my decision. In the newspapers so often were published huge pictures of inferior clothes of unknown designers, only because they were worn by Claudia Schiffer. My fashion doesn`t need that, because my clothes are made for women in human form. Women, who are living usual working life in the contemporary world.
Giorgio Armani doesn`t hide that he prefers the skinny girls to the sexy and tempting beauties. He doesn`t like Cindy Crowford and Linda Evangelistav because they are with too expressinal figures and are more appropriate for the fashion house of „Christian Dior“, for example. Armani likes women who look like men and even behave like them in their manner of living. He opposes the sexy and tempting topmodels to Stella Tenant, who is much more closer to his conception of contemporary woman`s beauty. As far as the mania and exaggeration of topmodels` role, his explanation is : „They (the topmodels) helped some designers like Versace,for example, who used the beauty of the girls to make his fashion popular. I prefer people talk for my clothes, not for my models. I don`t care whether the girl is anonymous.“
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Fashion world should be extremely grateful to the Italian designer. Thanks to his style, the clothing came nearer the real life, it became more practical, its elegance gained demensions different from those from 70s of the last century. On one hand, Giorgio Armani managed to form a radically new kind of mild, reserved and simple elegance for women`s style, thanks to his creative adoptation to men`s wear. On the other hand, he contributed a lot to the more adequate evaluation of the youth lifestyle and boosting of the sports cuts and silhouettes in the official clothing. He did this much more earlier than anyone else from the fashion stage.
On third hand, the great Italian reformed the suit (not only men`s but also women`s) making it more negligee. He succeed in setting it free from boredom and strictness and making it attractive for the people from the artistic and entartaining world.
On fourth hand, in communicative and addvertising aspect, Armani showed how fashion design could become popular thanks to the Hollywood stars and the good partnership with celebrities. All that together with his prsonal character, his enigmacy and reserve in his public appearances put him to one of the highest places in the hierarchy of the best designers of 20 century.
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Notes:
In the article are used the following sources: Jeans,T. „The end of fashion“ W studio.S.,2000; Elcan, A. To Giorgio Arman. Diamonds for breakfast, In: Amica, „Modena“ magazine,copy 6 of 1992,pg. 12- 14; Ermilova ,D.U. История домов моды, „Academy“. Moscow, 2003;O` Hara,G., „The encyclopedia of fashion“. „Library 48“, S., 1995; „Paris forced on Armani a Schengen Barrier“, „Vestnik za jenata, april 10,1998.Encyclopedie.Editions - De grote Mode Nathan. Paris, France,1989; Feldman. E. Fashions of a decade. The 1990s. Facts On File. New York, 1997; Martin,R.The St.James Fashion Encyclopedia:A Survey of Style from 1945 to the Present.Visible Ink Press. Detroit,1997; McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press Limited. London, 2000; Reuters Television News; O`Hara,G.The Encyclopaedia of Fashion.From 1840 to the 1980s.Thames and Hudson.London,1986; Stegemeyer, A. Who`s Who in Fashion. Third edition. Capital Cities Media, Inc. Fairchild Publications, New York, 1996.
Photoes:
1.Giorgio Armani
foto: © Encyclopedie.Editions - De grote Mode Nathan. Paris, France,1989;
2.Giorgio Armani`s model of men`s wear,1977 foto: © O`Hara,G.The Encyclopaedia of Fashion.From 1840 to the 1980s.Thames and Hudson.London,1986;
3. and 4. Models fotografed for Armani`s advertisements ( 1977 – 2000 )
foto: © McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press Limited. London, 2000;
5. Giorgio Armani`s model ofwomen`s wear
foto: © Encyclopedie.Editions - De grote Mode Nathan. Paris, France,1989;
6. Women`s and men`s fashion of Giorgio Armani,1986
foto: © Ewing,E.History of 20th Century Fashion.Third Edition.Revised and updated by Alice Mackrell. London,1992;
7. Model of Giorgio Armani,1997
foto: © Paolo Roversi / McDowell, C. Fashion today. Phaidon Press Limited. London, 2000
8. Drawing of a model from the collection „Emporio Armani“,2001
drawing : © Ermilova, D.U. История домов моды, “Академия”.Москва, 2003
9. Giorgio Armani in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, september 9,2003
foto: © AP Photo/Chris Weeks
10. Models of Giorgio Armani, 1993
foto: G.Marineau/Stills/Studio X / Seeling, Sh. Fashion. The century of the designer 1900 – 1999. Konemann, 2000, p. 527.
11. Models of Giorgio Armani ,1985-1989
foto: История моды с ХVІІІ по ХХ век. Колекции Института костюма Киото. “Арт-Родник”, Москва, 2003, с. 626.
12.High Fashion of Giorgio Armani, spring -summer 2005
foto: © Marcio Madeira / VOGUE.COM
13.High Fashion of Giorgio Armani, autumn- winter 2005- 2006
foto: © Marcio Madeira / VOGUE.COM
14.High fashion of Giorgio Armani, spring -summer 2006
foto: © Marcio Madeira / VOGUE.COM
Videos:
Armani Prive (Haute Couture) Spring 2006
Armani Prive (Haute Couture) Spring 2007
Translated by Silvya Madina
