Giorgio Armani in 1988
Photo: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty ImagesGiorgio Armani is a fashion giant who made his mark in menswear first. His trademark soft approach to tailoring reshaped not only the masculine suit but also male stereotypes. See Richard Gere in 1980’s American Gigolo for proof. When it comes to womenswear, he focuses on sartorialism rather than flou, bringing some of the swagger traditionally associated with haberdashery into a new realm.
Having studied to be a doctor at one point, Armani understands the body and how it moves; he designs clothes that allow free and fluid movement. He also has a sense for occasion, and his genius was to bring a certain easy confidence to red-carpet dressing. His Italian sprezzatura translated effortlessly into Hollywood. Armani is black-tie for winners.
At 70 years of age and 30 years into his career, Armani got into the couture game, launching Armani Privé in 2005. Last week in Paris he showed his 36th Privé collection, and as usual he came out smelling like roses. As the designer marks his 89th birthday on July 11, we’ve collected 89 moments from his career to celebrate him.
The designer with Richard Gere, 1988
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Giorgio Armani, spring 2023 menswear
Photo: Isidore Montag / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2023 menswear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, spring 2007 ready-to-wear
Photo: Filippo Monteforte / Getty Images
Beyoncé attends the spring 2007 Giorgio Armani show.
Tom Stoddart/Getty Images
Met Gala honorary chair Giorgio Armani with cochairs George Clooney and Julia Roberts, 2008
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Linda Evangelista for Giorgio Armani, spring 1991 ready-to-wear
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Irina Shayk attends Giorgio Amani’s spring 2023 ready-to-wear show.
Daniele Venturelli
Grace Jones photographed by Jean-Michel Goude in Giorgio Armani, 1981
Photo: John Kisch Archive / Getty Images
Viola Davis, winner of the Oscar for best actress in a supporting role, in Armani, 2007
Photo: Frederic J. Brown / Getty Images
Leonardo DiCaprio in Armani at the 2007 Academy Awards
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The designer with DiCaprio, 2006
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Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 menswear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, spring 1955 ready-to-wear
Photo: Fairchild Archive / Getty Images
With Ashley Judd at Cinema Against AIDS in Aid of AmFAR, 2004
Photo: Evan Agostini / Getty Images
Emporio Armani, spring 1992 ready-to-wear
WWD/Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 menswear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 menswear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 menswear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani with Sophia Loren backstage at his spring 1994 ready-to-wear show
Photo: Vittoriano Rastelli / Getty Images
Backstage at Giorgio Armani’s spring 2023 ready-to-wear show
Photographed by Acielle / Style Du Monde
Lauren Hutton at a Giorgio Armani show, 1980
WWD/Getty Images
Tina Chow at a Giorgio Armani party, circa 1980
Photo: Fairchild Archive / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, fall 2017 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Corey Tenold
A look from the debut Armani Privé collection for spring 2005 couture
Photo: Marcio Madeira
A look from the most recent Armani Privé collection for fall 2023 couture
photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
An installation view of the Armani exhibition at the Guggenheim, 2000
Photo: David Lefranc / Getty Images
Inside the Armani retrospective at the Shanghai Art Museum, 2006
Photo: China Photos / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, fall 2014 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Kevin Tachman
Giorgio Armani, fall 2018 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Corey Tenold
Jodie Foster in Armani at the 2013 Golden Globes
Photo: Jason Merritt / Getty Images
Armani Privé, spring 2005 couture
Photo: Marcio Madeira
Sharon Stone in Armani at the Last Dance premiere, 1996
Photo: Fairchild Archive / Getty Images
Ziyi Zhang in Armani Privé at the 2006 Academy Awards
Photo: Chris Polk / FilmMagic
Giorgio Armani with Silvana (left) and Roberta Armani at the opening of the designer’s exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, 2000
Photo: Kevin Mazur / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, spring 1993 ready-to-wear
Photo: Guy Marineau / Condé Nast Archive
Giorgio Armani, fall 1992 ready-to-wear
Photo: Guy Marineau / Condé Nast Archive
Giorgio Armani, spring 1993 ready-to-wear
Photo: Guy Marineau / Condé Nast Archive
Armani Privé, spring 2023 couture
Photographed by Acielle / StyleDuMonde
Giorgio Armani, spring 1992 ready-to-wear
Photo: Guy Marineau / Condé Nast Archive
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 ready-to-wear
Photo: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani
The designer with Lee Radziwiłl at the CFDAs, 1993
Ron Galella/Getty Images
The designer with Gwyneth Paltrow in New York, 1996
Kevin.Mazur
The designer with Claudia Cardinale in Monaco, 1993
Jean-Pierre REY/Getty Images
Anne Hathaway attending an Armani Privé show
Francois Durand/Getty Images
Armani Privé, spring 2005 couture
Photo: Marcio Madeira
Armani Privé, spring 2005 couture
Photo: Marcio Madeira
Armani Privé, spring 2005 couture
Photo: Marcio Madeira
Giorgio Armani, resort 2018
Photo: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani, spring 2008 menswear
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/Getty Images
Cate Blanchett arriving at Giorgio Armani’s spring 2023 show
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, resort 2020
Photo: Salvatore Dragone / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 ready-to-wear
Photo: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani, fall 2023 menswear
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2023 ready-to-wear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2019 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Corey Tenold
Armani Privé, spring 2017 couture
Photo: Sonny Vandevelde / Indigitalimages.com
Giorgio Armani, spring 2023 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Acielle / Style Du Monde
Giorgio Armani, fall 2022 ready-to-wear
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
Winona Ryder in Armani at the 2000 Academy Awards
Michael Crabtree - PA Images/Getty Images
Benicio del Toro, winner of the best-supporting-actor Oscar, in Armani, 2001
Photo: AMPAS / Getty Images
Armani dressed the Liverpool team for the 1996 FA Cup.
Photo: Mirrorpix / Getty Images
Emporio Armani, spring 2005 ready-to-wear
Photo: Pierre Verdy / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, spring 2015 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Kevin Tachman
Katie Holmes in Giorgio Armani at the 2007 Vanity Fair Oscar party
Evan Agostini/Getty Images
Giorgio Armani designed Katie Holmes’s wedding dress in 2006
FilmMagic.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 ready-to-wear
Photo: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 menswear
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, fall 2021 ready-to-wear
Photo: Courtesy of Giorgio Armani
Armani at the Guggenheim Bilbao, 2001
Photo: Christophe Simon / Getty Images
Cate Blanchett in Armani Privé at the Cannes premiere of A Star Is Born, 2018
Photo: Maria Moratti / Getty Images
Cate Blanchett in Armani Privé at the Cannes premiere of A Star Is Born, 2018
Photo: Dominique Charriau / WireImage
Beyoncé performs in Armani Privé, 2008
Photo: Vince Bucci / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, resort 2020
Photo: Salvatore Dragone / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, resort 2020
Photo: Salvatore Dragone / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, resort 2020
Photo: Salvatore Dragone / Gorunway.com
Giorgio Armani, spring 2019 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Corey Tenold
The designer with models, 1990
Photo: Mondadori Portfolio / Getty Images
The designer with Martin Scorsese at Cannes, 2002
Photo: Pool Benainous / Duclos / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, spring 2015 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Kevin Tachman
The Giorgio Armani retrospective exhibition in Rome, 2004
Photo: Eric Vandeville / Getty Images
Giorgio Armani, fall 2019 ready-to-wear
Photographed by Corey Tenold
Lady Helen Windsor, Rosamund Pike, Cate Blanchett, Roberta Armani, and Katie Holmes in the front row at the spring 2007 Armani Privé couture show
Photo: Michel Dufour / WireImage
Armani Privé, fall 2016 couture
Photo: Sonny Vandevelde / Indigital.tv
Armani Privé, fall 2016 couture
Photo: Sonny Vandevelde / Indigital.tv
Armani Privé, fall 2023 couture
Photographed by Acielle / StyleDuMonde
Giorgio Armani at the close of his spring 2024 menswear show
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com