The Future of Giorgio Armani- The hidden story

The Italian Fashion icon Giorgio Armani tells his plans about the future. The luxurious house Armani has built is a reflection of himself—the trim, toned, tanned and T-shirted figure that is

synonymous with the brand—and he wants to secure a long lasting relationship for both of them.

Few people in the fashion world are as entwined with their brands. In most companies, a creative director designs and an executive manages. However Armani is unique in the sense that it does both giving it a competitive advantage. Many important designers, including Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs, work under contract for brands that aren't their own. Armani hasn't designed for anyone else in more than 30 years. Most houses are owned by large conglomerates, and for those that still belong to their founding families, ownership is usually shared. Armani owns 100 percent of Giorgio Armani SpA.

Armani takes full responsibility, and credit, for anything that bears his name. At a meeting last year about a new Armani-branded hotel in Marrakech—hotels are the designer's latest big venture—Armani sparred with the architect Jean-Michel Gathy over the layout of the rooms. "This bathroom is too big. It's a bathroom with a house on the side," Armani said in French. "I tell you this is a beautiful room. You can walk around naked, and no one will see you," insisted Gathy. "You don't need to walk around naked every day," snapped Armani. "This is too structured, too busy. I want simplicity, simplicity." The layout has since been changed.

Armani returns to the role of fashion designers. Fashion makes no sense, he says, unless it serves the primary purpose of dressing people. Take, for instance, a winter collection made of organza because organza is trendy. "Well, that's absurd, because in winter it's cold and you can't go around naked," Armani says, rolling his R s the French way, which in Italian is a slight idiosyncrasy of speech that exudes an air of aristocracy. "This is a serious business," he adds. "This isn't a game. This is not just about fashion victims." Yet he chafes at not being a critical darling.

Source: Online