This morning, Sept. 4, one of the most prominent figures in the world of fashion passed away.
First establishing his brand in 1975, Giorgio Armani was a foundation to the industry in many ways. His workwear collections, sold in the “Emporio Armani” boutiques across the world, are a pinnacle of seamless luxury.
Even today, with suits ranging from two to nine thousand dollars, rocking an Armani on your way to work definitely indicates that you’ve moved up a tax bracket.
And while it is easy to dismiss the already achieved success of a person, specifically one in the spotlight, the man led a very interesting life before he learned how to craft a corporate suit of armour.
Born to a shipping manager in Piacenza, Northern Italy, Armani grew up living a small-town life with his parents and two siblings.
However, that life was anything but idyllic. During World War II, he experienced poverty, violence and uncertainty. In an archive video recently posted by CBS Sunday Morning, the designer recalled his house and neighborhood being bombed, with his father not being able to support his family’s well-being.
Thrust into a life of hardship, a career in fashion was still a life not even dreamed of yet. A lifepath that promised the most hope in hard times was medicine. It didn’t hurt that he already had a fascination with human anatomy. He would often make dolls out of mud with coffee beans in the middle.
Thankfully for the fashion industry, he did not finish medical school and instead ended up working at a department store. This switch inspired his vigor for fashion. Combined with a high work ethic, it didn’t take long for him to move on to working for independent designers.
Exploring his newfound interest, he also began dabbling in freelance work on the side, which eventually led to meeting his best friend — at one point, partner — Italian architect Sergio Galeotti. Galeotti became the financial backbone of Emporio Armani when they decided to go into business together in 1975.
With Galeotti’s loyal support and the confidence in his abilities after years of seasoned expertise, it didn’t take long for Armani to break into the market.
Recalling his early interest in silhouettes and anatomy, Armani began deconstructing the traditional make-up of clothing. This is how the signature “Armani look” came about.
One of the things he became famous for was androgynous fashion, the blending of masculine and feminine — something both genders could wear interchangeably.
He played around with the structure of typical formal attire, wanting to create an entirely different aesthetic that was casual yet mysterious and fashionable.
He ended up achieving exactly that — his designs remain the pinnacle of luxury while still carrying the essence of something you simply happened to throw on.
His early runways feature famous models such as Shalom Harlow and Yasmeen Ghauri rocking a free-flowing three-piece consisting of lazily tied button-ups, oversized yet perfectly fitted blazers and mini skirts.
And yet, Armani himself often wore simple black attire.
Why is that?
When asked about it in the CBS video, the man’s response was that he lived and breathed fashion every day — but not in the ways you might expect.
Yes, he actively came up with designs, organized and watched the runway. However, he noted that in the end, it all came down to attitude.
To Armani, it was about the way you wore clothes, and not the other way around.
In dressing himself simply yet stylishly, he didn’t need the clothes to speak for him, as he could do that by himself.
Though surprising due to his vision, talent and presence, Armani never had any formal training.
The Italian designer was simply thrust into the world of fabric and design by his time from career hopping at department stores. This is not a typical “find your passion” story.
This is a story of a man who came from nothing, discovering his knack by coincidence. He didn’t dismiss what was right in front of him and seized the opportunity, nurtured it and turned it into a multi-billion dollar empire.
He always had the aptitude for it, beginning as early as his fascination with creating mud dolls and studying silhouettes. It was just a matter of time before the right circumstances came about to induce a wake-up call.
Indeed, when put in the flow of his calling, Armani quickly planted the seeds for his eventual success. The late designer had what we would call a “well-lived” life, going from growing up in poverty and war to being admired by many for his sharp eye and designs.
Yet the value of this journey was not only the monetary reward. Armani’s story serves as an example that when we follow what comes easily to the mind and is rewarding to the heart, we will eventually end up on the path meant for us.
You never know where you will end up, who you will meet and how all of that might lead to your dream life as well.
This is why we should never give up on getting to know ourselves. Just when you think you’ve got things “figured out,” a new tide might turn, and suddenly you’ve discovered a whole different version of yourself who wouldn’t have shown up in any other circumstance.
So be open to experience and don’t shy away from what is new. Who knows? Maybe one day, just like with Armani, the world will write about the legacy you’ve left behind.
For now, though, we remember and admire Armani.
Till we meet again.
