The pioneer of power dressing and red-carpet fashion Giorgio Armani hits 90th milestone in 2024.
Most designers who end up creating clothing for both sexes migrate from specialising in womenswear to also offering their customers menswear. Giorgio Armani, born on 11 July 1934 in the small town of Piacenza in northern Italy, is unusual in that he travelled in the opposite direction, launching with menswear back in 1975 some three months before debuting his womenswear. Indeed, those early collections established a tailoring-based aesthetic that the designer has remained true to.
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Giorgio Armani fall/winter 2012 -
Giorgio Armani fall/winter 1994 -
Giorgio Armani fall/winter 2011
As any Gen-X fashion savant who grew up in the 1980s would tell you, our earliest memories of sartorial fashion were shaped by the Armani wardrobe of sharply tailored shirts and double-breasted suits in Paul Schrader’s 1980 neo-noir crime drama American Gigolo, which helped turn Richard Gere into an international star and an icon of elegance.
The Armani-designed costumes became as much a highlight as the film itself, and has since paved the way for branded costumes in film and redefined modern dandy with Giorgio Armani’s distinctive brand of power dressing. The designer would go on to dress the leading men of numerous iconic films, including Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street and Hu Ge in Wong Kar Wai’s Blossoms Shanghai.
Notably, Armani’s predilection for manly tailoring styles and fabrics was initially championed as evidence of his understanding of the needs of professional women to have recourse to a wardrobe that could compete in the workplace with that worn by their male counterparts.
THE POWER OF DECONSTRUCTION
If Armani has become famous for a type of androgyny in his work for women, then this is simply because, by his own admission, he identifies with the skills of the tailor and sees the tailored men’s jacket as a testing ground for new solutions and forms. His approach has been to pioneer a design philosophy of deconstruction: liberating the jacket from padding that stiffens it, giving it flowing lines. This creates a sense of panache, but also, crucially, delivers comfort and lends ease to movement. The fabrics are soft: new blends and weaves that allow for amazing results in terms of lightness and performance.
Over the years, deconstruction has become a signature of the brand and a powerful tool in tackling the ever-changing fashion landscape. As modern men progressively gained awareness of their physiques and increasingly express a physical dynamism, the Armani jacket became more of a second skin, to be worn without effort. Shoulders have become increasingly natural and lapels smaller, with more compact lengths and slimmer fits in the body.
The Armani jacket is formal without formality: a garment worn with the natural, relaxed feeling of a sweater. This approach has recently led to the development of the new raglan jacket, which radically redefines the dialogue between clothing and the body, focusing on clean lines and a metropolitan simplicity.
The result of this experimentation and innovation is that the male wardrobe has become as much about comfort as about style and function. In many ways, Giorgio Armani has been at the forefront of changing our expectations of how we feel in our clothing. Armani has not only built the Giorgio Armani fashion empire, pioneered trends with his diffusion lines, and created a series of high-profile, red-carpet looks, but he has also integrated fashion into various aspects of life, venturing from desserts and flowers to home furnishings, yachts, and hotel decor.
MADE TO MEASURE
THE ULTIMATE IN MENSWEAR
Credited for redefining the idea of modern tailoring and ushering in a new era of elegant and comfortable clothing for men, Giorgio Armani once said, “I am an observer. I like to listen rather than express myself openly. This trait is one that I have maintained over the years.”
In 2006, sensing a growing demand for elevated menswear after the launch of his Giorgio Armani Privé women’s couture collection the year before, the designer decided that it was time for a change and introduced his Made to Measure line, featuring suits that are a study in the fine art of tailoring, combining the world-famous Armani spirit with the exceptional quality of made-to-measure craftsmanship.
“I realised that I have clients who really do want a unique product, made specifically for them,” he said. “Hence, I decided to create a made-to-measure service, where a customer gets all the benefits of a tailor-made garment—unique fit, fabric, lining, buttons, details—as well as the signature Giorgio Armani look. This collection really does bring the traditional and the modern together, combining the origins of the tailor’s craft with the innovations of a contemporary design studio.”
“It was a time of big fashion corporations, globalisation and an impersonal approach to design. I believe it is important to return to the heart of the creative process and make beautiful yet wearable clothes from the finest materials.”
– Giorgio Armani
A SUCCESS STORY
Since its launch, Giorgio Armani Made to Measure has attracted a growing number of discerning customers. Originally only available in a select number of stores around the world, the service can now be found in almost every Giorgio Armani boutique, run by highly specialised staff. Not only do an ever-growing number of high-profile executives choose to wear Giorgio Armani Made to Measure, but many celebrities too, from Academy Award-winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Paolo Sorrentino to Christian Bale, Tom Cruise, Will Smith and George Clooney.
THE LUXURY MENSWEAR EXPERIENCE
The customer who wears Giorgio Armani is accustomed to excellent service. When he decides to try a Made to Measure suit, he will discover a luxurious shopping experience in which he is part of the design process. He will be assisted by highly trained staff. He will be able to feel the fabrics, select those he likes, choose the lining and style of button, and select a specific silhouette, specifying every detail: the type of lapel, pocket positions, single or double-breasted fastening, pleated or non-pleated trousers. The final garment is unique and exclusive, customised to his specifications and featuring a personalised label.
Giorgio Armani has streamlined the process of making a Made to Measure suit to fit in with the busy working schedules of his clients. Customers are measured in-store and given the option of returning for a fitting before delivery or simply collecting the finished suit, which can also be sent to their homes or offices. The store retains the customer’s exclusive model, allowing him to order new suits without returning to the store.
“This collection really does bring the traditional and the modern together, combining the origins of the tailor’s craft with the innovations of a contemporary design studio.”
THE STYLES
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Silhouettes
Several silhouettes are available, with different lapel, button and pocket combinations. Customers can choose between two main lines—the Soho (contemporary and sophisticated) and the Wall Street (classic and traditional). Both lines include daywear and eveningwear from the ready-to-wear collections.
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Trousers
Trousers boast details for the utmost comfort, such as a pleated waistband to adapt to the client’s body size. Other details further customise the trousers, such as reinforced pockets and button flies.
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Details
Customers can choose from a variety of linings and buttons.
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Fabrics
In addition to classic Prince of Wales, herringbone and houndstooth, and materials seen in the Giorgio Armani ready-to-wear collections, the wide choice of fabrics available to customers includes vicuña and wools with a thread count that makes them finer than cashmere. The selection also includes sustainable fabrics such as organic cotton and linen, Nativa wool—with certified quality and traceability—and recycled cupro.
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Quality
A Giorgio Armani Made to Measure suit is made to the highest standards. As well as the visible bespoke details—hand stitching on lapels, functional sleeve buttonholes—other details are hidden within the structure of the garment, such as a natural canvas made of horsehair and goat’s hair. Interfacings are stitched to ensure that jackets feel light and fluid when worn. The use of natural materials means that these garments have tremendous powers of recovery should they be squashed in luggage or caught in the rain. Natural materials also ensure more efficient heat retention and disposal.
MADE TO ORDER
In 2024, the Giorgio Armani Made to Measure collection expanded with Made to Order, a service that allows customers to personalise details on a selection of classic Armani pieces, including the deconstructed jacket, a cornerstone of the designer’s ready-to-wear selection.
