A Living Legend

As his 90th birthday approaches, Giorgio Armani walks us through his journey as one of the greatest designers of our times

-  LORRAINE CHAI

The lexicon of Armani’s is extensive, from Armani Privé’s evening wear to the highly anticipated residential projects by Armani Casa. Armani is not just the last name of a fashion designer – it is an empire built by the illustrious Giorgio Armani. His journey is an age old story of how hard work begets success: from working as a window dresser to crafting a line of unconstructed suit jackets. The latter would eventually be the first menswear collection Giorgio Armani created under his eponymous label in 1975.

His approach to menswear using lighter fabrics was considered “feminine”, breaking the sartorial norm at the time and earning him the moniker “King of Blazer”. This is, however, his least-mentioned success among the vast sea of headlines. He is, after all, a man of many firsts in this capricious industry: the first to livestream a fashion runway and the first designer to ban a model with a low BMI, to name a few. With time, it’s proven that the designer marched into the fashion industry playing his own set of drums by ear, and he has never missed a beat.

Few designers can claim that they’ve created such a lasting influence on the industry and fewer can say that they remain the sole owner of their brand. “For me, there is just one life and my work runs through it. I truly enjoy being involved in all aspects of the company,” the enthusiastic designer confessed to Grazia Malaysia as he gears up to celebrate his 90th birthday this July.