Armani, Giorgio (1934—)
Milanese fashion designer Giorgio Armani did for menswear in 1974 what Chanel did sixty years before for women's tailoring: he dramatically softened menswear tailoring, eliminating stuffing and rigidity. The power of Armani styling comes from a non-traditional masculinity of soft silhouettes and earth colors in slack elegance. His 1980s "power suit" (padded shoulders, dropped lapels, two buttons, wide trousers, and low closure) and its 1990s successor (natural shoulders, three buttons, high closure, narrow trousers, and extended jacket length) defined prestige menswear. Armani is the first fashion designer to focus primarily on menswear, though he has designed womenswear since 1975. In the 1990s, Armani remained chiefly identified with expensive suits but produced numerous lines. Armani's popularity in America can be traced to Richard Gere's wardrobe in American Gigolo (1980).
Further Reading:
Martin, Richard and Harold Koda. Giorgio Armani: Images of Man. New York, Rizzoli, 1990.
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