The Enduring Legacy of Giorgio Armani

Rebecca Ryder-Caddy, Associate Professor & Curriculum Lead, Design & Creative Business School of Arts and Creative Industries, Coventry University, reflects on Giorgio Armani’s lifelong fashion legacy…

Hearing the news of Giorgio Armani’s death at 91 was both sad but also strangely surprising, largely because the man had become so intertwined with his brand that as a person he’d become as ageless as Armani is timeless. 

Launching his eponymous brand in 1975, ready-to-wear designs brought relaxed Italian tailoring to European and American catwalks: suit jackets with dropped buttons and lowered break points, and trousers which draped from oversized silhouettes in soft wools and pleated waists. This ‘hands-in-pockets’ approach to smart and formal wear made Armani as a brand stand out, but also made them super influential on the fashion scene as a whole.

Designs were successful through the 1980s because they challenged the Yuppy aesthetic: buttoned-up and pin-striped, buy / sell- and the Armani look disrupted that whole movement and offered a more laid back approach to what ‘being successful’ looked like. Dressing Richard Gere for American Gigolo (1980) cemented Armani as a brand, and Giorgio as a visionary in western fashion.

Through the 1990s, as the rest of the industry embraced fantasy with flamboyant and character based escapist collections on the catwalk, Armani stayed true to brand with quality, Italian inspired silhouettes; a new uniform that countered the escapism we saw elsewhere.

As times have changed, Armani haven’t- they’ve adapted and evolved, introducing denim ranges, accessories, fragrances and more affordable diffusion lines; but their core has remained unchanged: understated, quality styling which softens traditional menswear and sharpens traditional womenswear, reflecting their progressive but minimalist core customer. 

Giorgio Armani was a pioneer in developing a brand that could be something to everyone. The overlap between fashion and lifestyle was embraced and there was something for all in what was on offer: Emporio Armani Cafés, watches, perfumes, cosmetics, accessories, jewellery, homeware, magazines, restaurant collaborations, hotels, public exhibitions, sports teams (the Olimpia Milano Basketball team, which Giorgio acquired in 2008 and remained owner of until his death) and more. This approach to a brand was pioneering and has paved the way for many others to follow. Commercially, it meant there was a broader range of people who could wear, use and display the Armani logo, but it also meant the brand was showing everything that they care about and thought their customers should care about too. This reached beyond fashion and lifestyle: Giorgio Armani ensured his brand was linked to high profile charitable campaigns and movements including support for AIDS charities (ANLAIDS- A National Association for the fight against Aids, and Product (Red)- the Global Fund against AIDS) and the plight of refugees from Afghanistan through his role as Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations. 

Returning to his roots as a fashion legend there are many looks which are iconically Armani. Dressing Diane Keaton for Annie Hall (1978) and the previously mentioned American Gigolo wardrobe (1980) both helped make his name in the global fashion industry. Dressing Grace Jones for the iconic cover of her Nightclubbing album (1981), Gwyneth Paltrow braving a sheer gown at the Shakespeare in Love premiere (1998) and more recently Lady Gaga in a (perhaps uncharacteristically for Armani) flamboyant look for the 2010 Grammy Awards showing his willingness to push boundaries. Most recent headlines came from Cate Blanchett wearing the same custom Armani Privé gown for the Venice Film Festival (2025) as she had worn for the Screen Actors Guild Awards (2022). This celebrates Giorgio’s view that gowns and garments should be worn multiple times for ethical and sustainable reasons, but to also celebrate the work and materials that have gone into creating the piece. A positive, progressive voice from a traditionally wasteful corner of the fashion industry.

Unusually for fashion brands of this scale and breadth, Giorgio Armani remained the sole owner of the Armani Group until his death. While brand names within the group have been licensed out for use (for example, to L’Oréal for cosmetics and to Luxottica for eyewear), Giorgio retained control over the brand image and portfolio of products. What happens next for the Armani Group and the range of brands within (including Armani Exchange, Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani) is yet to unfold. Giorgio’s strong control of the Group, the lack of an immediate familial heir, and the absence of international shareholders set the scene for a number of options in future; but one thing is certain: Giorgio Armani’s legacy as a pioneer is secure. 

Top image by Spolyakov via pexels.com