This is how I've always felt about fashion, not just since my name and labels became well known, but since the day I began my career. I've always had a pragmatic approach, an instinct honed by working from the outset in the world of industrial production and broad distribution. The creativity I love is one that invents credible fashion, clothes that make the men and women who buy them look and feel better, not changing drastically every season but evolving the way the culture does, capturing the current of what's new. It's a creativity that doesn't stoop to the level of the "remake," the costume, the gratuitously peculiar or indecent.
The values that will endure to form the foundation of the new century's fashion are ease, intimacy, expressiveness and, above all, a space for interpretation between those who make fashion and those who wear it. And this is the concept of fashion that has guided and continues to guide my life."
Armani Timeline
1930's - "My mother had a great influence in my life, especially because she managed to be both gentle and strong. She had a great sense of décor, and took great care about her appearance; she was vain, as all women should be; she was open and solicitous, as we would like all our friends to be. With an unflagging respect for others, which has taught me to avoid becoming one of those people who has to have his own way, no matter what."
1940's - "I was a very reasonable youth, perhaps a bit naïve a dreamer. At home the strong figure, capable of being intimidating, was my mother. My father, on the other hand, was very gentle, but also somewhat absent. Piacenza was a little world where we lived, peaceful and protected. The provincial atmosphere of those days is something that is always with me-even when I'm in New York City."Shop Giorgio Armani >>
Career Milestone: Mr. Armani becomes a buyer for La Rinascente department store-one of Italy's largest department-store chains. He helped to put together ambitious window displays. "I began by chance, to work with apparel at Rinascente. I improvised a position as stylist for this large department store chain."
1960's - "In the beginning I took in everything I could with my eyes and my ears, and used this as inspiration for my work. In those days I was self-assured because one had to be to make progress."
1970's - Career Milestone: Mr. Armani works as a freelance fashion designer for various companies.
"At the age of 38, on Corso Venezia in Milan, in two rooms which we [Armani and Sergio Galeotti] furnished with the money from the sale of our Volkswagen, we began. I wanted women to be able to wear jackets, like men, without losing anything of their feminine allure. My "teachers" were the creators of the costumes for American films in the 1930's, not to mention Coco Chanel. What I had in mind was that elegant understated air of the 30's and 40's."
"I have been through a series of lucky coincidences. I began working in a time when women were beginning to understand, perhaps confusedly, that they would have to change in order to deal with society in a different way, to have the same opportunities as men."
Career Milestone: Launch of Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni men's and women's wear in the US and Canada. Giorgio Armani Corporation USA is established. Launch of Mani men's (in the US and Canada) and women's wear (issued globally).
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1980's - Career Milestone: Armani launches Emporio Armani, with the first store opening in Milan. Armani Junior is launched. Mr. Armani opens his first Giorgio Armani boutique in Milan. Mr. Armani becomes the second fashion designer (Christian Dior was the first) to appear on the cover of Time magazine. 1983 marks the launch of Armani man's fragrance, simply called Armani. In the same year, the New York flagship store opens...Giorgio Armani's first boutique in the United States.
1990's - Launch of A/X, Armani Exchange, men's and women's wear occurs, the first store opens in New York City's Soho. Additionally the first Armani Junior store opens in Milan, Giorgio Armani Neve, Giorgio Armani Golf and Giorgio Armani Classico collections are all launched during the decade.
"I always rip up photographs - my mother did the same - in which I don't like my image. But I am not a narcissist: I have great capacity for self criticism, so much so that I stopped dancing at the age of 25, to avoid looking ridiculous."
Career Milestone: Launch of Emporio Armani fragrances for men and women. "These are thoroughly authentic perfumes, one masculine and the other feminine- both in highly modern packaging."
2000 - Career Milestone: Launch of Mania fragrance for women and Giorgio Armani Cosmetics.
Launched the Giorgio Armani global web site, including giorgioarmani.com, armanicollezioni.com, emporioarmani.com, armanijeans.com, armaniexchange.com, armaniparfums.com, armanipress.com.
On April 20th, 2000 Giorgio Armani was the winner of the David di Donatello Award, Rome Italy. The Italian Oscars for film awarded Giorgio Armani with a special award for his contribution to film and cinema. His good friend, Lauren Hutton, presented the award. In the same year, he was awarded Man of the Year award, given by GC USA.
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