The man from the department store: fashion designer Giorgio Armani has died

Giorgio Armani, the man who changed the world of the fashion industry, has died. He was born into a simple family, but chose his vocation early and became the owner of his own fashion house at the age of forty. Unlike many couturiers, he never aspired to outrage — and perhaps that's why his name has become synonymous with impeccable taste and elegant timeless style. Izvestia recalls the brightest pages from the fashion designer's biography.

Giorgio Armani: Childhood and youth

Giorgio Armani was born on July 11, 1934 in Piacenza, Italy. His family had nothing to do with the world of high fashion: his mother was a housewife, his father played football and served as a minor official. A place in the civil service did not save the family from military hardships: later in his autobiography, the future fashion master recalled more than once how they hid from the bombing and starved, unable to get food. After the war, the family moved to Milan. Giorgio went to school, and together with his mother, older brother Sergio, and younger sister Rosanna, they regularly attended the theater. Their parents tried their best to introduce culture to their children. However, Giorgio loved the cinema even more than the theater, where he certainly went every weekend, and sometimes more often. In addition, the family often staged their own puppet shows, for which the future fashion designer sewed costumes for the puppet artists.

After reading Archibald Cronin's novel The Citadel in high school, Armani became obsessed with medicine. He even entered the medical faculty of the University of Milan, but very soon realized that he would not become a doctor: the future designer could not stand the sight of blood. Two years later, Armani dropped out of school. However, medical knowledge soon turned out to be very useful: after joining the military, Armani became an orderly.

Armani also used his knowledge of anatomy while working in the fashion industry. His clothes take into account the characteristics of the human body as much as possible and do not create inconveniences.

Giorgio Armani: the beginning of a career in fashion

After returning from the army, 23-year-old Giorgio Armani took a job as an auxiliary worker at the La Rinascente department store in Milan. He stayed there for seven years, having made an impressive career: the young man, who, as it turned out, had excellent taste, was first promoted to a window decorator, then to a sales consultant, and after that he was assigned the responsible position of a clothing buyer. Working in a department store helped him gain knowledge that would later come in handy in the fashion world: Giorgio learned how to understand the quality of fabrics, assess customer needs, and build marketing strategies.

By the age of thirty, Armani had completely outgrown La Rinascente, finally deciding to enter the world of high fashion. To everyone's surprise, he quickly found a place here, getting a job as an assistant to the famous fashion designer Nino Cerruti. Armani is said to have been helped by the buyer's experience: talking with the applicant, Cerutti asked him to choose the highest quality of the proposed fabric samples — and Armani easily coped with the task.

Working with Cerruti very soon became a full-fledged creative tandem. Armani worked on sewing, cutting and building patterns for the Cerutti collections. And soon he completely placed his Hitman youth clothing line in the hands of the aspiring fashion designer.

In 1966, Armani met architect Sergio Galeotti, who persuaded him to create his own brand. In 1974, Giorgio Armani demonstrated for the first time a collection created under his own name. An excellent manager, Galeotti took over the management of the brand's finances — and their joint business literally took off: in 10 years, the turnover of the Armani brand grew to $ 100 million.

Giorgio Armani: Hollywood fashion Designer

When Armani was just starting out, few believed in his success: in those years, forty was considered too late an age to have time to promote his name in the fashion world. However, Giorgio Armani defied all predictions, becoming a star in just a few years. In 1982, Time magazine put Armani's photo on the cover under the headline "Giorgio's Magnificent Style." It was a sign of appreciation from the entire male half of humanity: it was Armani who brought comfort, softness and lightness to the classic men's suit. "After getting rid of the stiffness in my clothes, I discovered an unexpected naturalness," he said later in an interview. "That was the starting point for everything I did after that."

Comfortable and elegant, Armani suits have become a new men's classic — and a new signature style of Hollywood stars. In the 1980s, he became one of the most popular fashion designers among Hollywood blockbuster costume designers. His costumes were sported by Richard Gere in "American Gigolo", handsome men from "Miami Police" and about 200 more film characters. On this side of the screen, the stars loved him no less: Armani sewed dresses for the Oscar red carpet for dozens of Hollywood celebrities, including Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland, Michelle Pfeiffer, Cindy Crawford, Jodie Foster, Cate Blanchett, Beyonce, Lady Gaga and many others.

Giorgio Armani has been impressing others with his phenomenal performance for many years. Speaking in an interview about the need for a work-life balance, he admitted that he made his choice by devoting himself entirely to work. The fashion designer admitted that after 50 years of age, he works out in the gym for an hour a day, considering sport to be the best way to keep fit and constantly recharge his energy. In the last couple of years, Armani has reached a new level of fame, becoming the hero of Internet memes under the slogan: "Armani works in the 90s, so you can do it!"

In the official obituary, the press service of the Armani fashion house reported that the fashion designer continued to work on a new collection until the last days. Giorgio Armani died at home at the age of 92, surrounded by his family and friends. The farewell to Giorgio Armani will take place in Milan until Sunday. The funeral, in accordance with the wishes of the designer, will be held behind closed doors: only close friends and relatives will be invited to them.