A Place In the sun

In an idyllic Saint-Tropez setting, Giorgio Armani updates a classic Provençal house as a captivatingly carefree seaside retreat

- JJ Martin

When you own several homes around the world, plus a stunning 213-foot-long yacht, as Giorgio Armani does, finding time through the year to spend at each of those residences can be challenging—especially for an in-demand, workaholic fashion magnate. Yet, no matter how stretched he gets, Armani manages to make time to escape to his pistachio-shuttered stucco house in the leafy hills above Saint-Tropez, just a short stroll from the Mediterranean’s turquoise waters.

“I go four or five weekends in late June and July,” says the designer, who carves out his time in Saint-Tropez with his usual exactitude. Mornings begin with a walk or a workout, followed by a visit to the beach for a swim with the locals. He typically has lunch at home, or, when he’s feeling more social, he’ll head to the scenic, champagne-soaked Cinquante Cinq beach club and then spend the late afternoon winding around the charming Place des Lices open-air market. “I love to go into the town, take my walks around, see all of the flowers, food, and bars. I find it very fun, even though it’s touristy.”

A PLACE TO LIVE

Modest in comparison to some of Armani’s other homes—such as his cliff-hanging retreat in Antigua or his sprawling Swiss chalet near St Moritz, featured in AD’s May-June 2012 issue—his two-storey house here is sheltered by a forest of palms, eucalyptus trees, and cypress hedges and doesn’t look directly onto the water. “I didn’t want the sea in my face,” remarks the designer, who relishes the property’s unobtrusive, laid-back quality. “When people come to visit me, they are always very surprised,” he says. “It isn’t a house to show off in; it’s to live in.”