Indomitable Italian designer Giorgio Armani turns 90 today and what a 90 years it’s been. From showing his first collection for his eponymous brand at the Palazzo Della Permanente art gallery in Milan to his upcoming SS25 show set to take place in The Big Apple, Mr. Armani’s impact on the fashion industry is unmatched. In celebration of his birthday, here at 10 Towers, we’ve selected our favourite moments from his ever-enduring career – long may it continue.

DELLA DEBUT!

In his 1975 debut collection, Armani pulled out all the stops. The eponymous label introduced uncluttered silhouettes and gentle tailoring, setting the stage for the brand’s enduring legacy and transforming what people think of men’s suits. By discarding shoulder pads and stiffness common in traditional men’s tailoring, Armani gave suits a ‘seductive’ and ‘fresh’ feel, so it’s no surprise the first collection was an instant success.

THE GIORGIO ARMANI ‘GIGOLO’

Giorgio Armani’s name was cemented into the fashion sphere at the dawn of the ‘80s, thanks to the neo-noir crime drama American Gigolo. Starring Richard Gere as the character Julian Kaye – a narcissistic, male escort who gets caught up in a grisly murder case – Armani dressed the sex worker in slouchy suits so that, despite his strife, he remained dressed to the nines.

‘NIGHTCLUBBING’

The ‘80s were a vivacious time. Everything was oversized, politics were attritional, gay pride was on the rise and, in ‘81, Grace Jones released her seminal album, Nightclubbing. A visceral, groovy, nine-track record, on its sleeve – lensed by Jean-Paul Goude – the androgynous Jamaican singer sported an angular tailored jacket with broad shoulder and a nipped-in waist, and of course, it was made by the master of suiting, Mr Giorgio Armani. With a flattop hairdo and an unlit ciggie hanging from the corner of her red-swiped mouth, it wasn’t the electric blue tint of her skin or the beguiling glare of her eyes, but the sharp padded shoulders that made it so memorable. It was so indelible in fact, that Mr Armani revived the architectural jacket three decades later for his Resort 2012 collection. Now that’s a suit for the ages.

JULIA IN GIORGIO

In what is perhaps one of Armani’s most memorable red carpet moments, actress Julia Roberts looked stylishly out of the box in an oversized Armani suit, floral tie and workman’s boots at the 1990 Golden Globe awards. Blurring the lines between menswear and womenswear, Roberts differentiated herself from her twenty-something peers with this bold move and cemented Armani’s place in celebrity dressing.

THE ARMANI AWARDS

Before the red carpet was an anointed an industry in its own right, the Academy Awards were colloquially referred to as the ‘Armani Awards’. Not because the King of Italian fashion was the sponsor or anything like that, but because his empowering designs were the go-to for celebs stepping out onto the red carpet. WWD coined the nickname shortly after the 62nd edition had taken place due to the colossal number of stars who sported sleek armani suits and dresses. Those stars included Kim Basinger, Robert De Niro, Steven Spielberg, Julia Roberts, Jodie Foster, Denzel Washington, Steve Martin, Tom Cruise, Jeff Goldblum, Dennis Hopper, Daryl Hannah and Billy Crystal, to name just a few. In 1990, those ‘Armani Awards’ made certain the designer’s influence on Hollywood would only grow and in the years since, Armani has been worn to the Oscars more than 500 times. To call him prolific would be a grave understatement. Not limited to the annual ceremony, Mr Armani remains a go-to for red carpet dressing across the globe.

FILM, FASHION, FAME

No stranger to dressing the stars of the silver screen, American Gigolo wasn’t Mr Armani’s only foray into film. The designer’s slick suiting has been frequently seen on the backs of Hollywood’s cult-favourite heroes and villains, most notably Batman’s Bruce Wayne, played by Christian Bale, in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises which landed in cinemas in 2012. He also designed the crisp tailoring seen in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and had a hand in the manicured attire worn by Ethan Hawke in the eugenics-led universe of Gattaca (1997). Other notable cinematic Armani style moments include Kevin Costner, Robert De Niro and Sean Connery in The Untouchables (1987), George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Ocean’s Thirteen (2007) and Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011).

THE WALK OF STYLE

With his far-reaching impact on Hollywood’s red carpet style, it was only right that Armani was honoured in the land of La-La itself. Bestowed with Beverly Hills’ first ‘Walk of Style’ Award in 2003 for his contribution to the ever-merging worlds of fashion and entertainment, the designer took home the prize just in time for the Oscars. How fitting!

TEAM SPIRIT

As his empire continued to expand, Armani began taking his work beyond the runway, combining his passion for both sports and fashion. At the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony held in Italy, his artistic direction and costume designing came together to produce the uniform of the Italian flag bearers. They sported an electric silver puffer jacket paired with navy slim fitting trousers. Armani himself was also among the selected torchbearers for the Olympics and he was seen joyfully carrying the Olympic torch through fashion capital Milan as the torch made its way to Turin with crowds of people celebrating his presence. Keren Kabongo

THE HAT-TRICK

In 2007, Armani practically scored a hat-trick by enlisting ’00s ‘It boy’ David Beckham to be the face of Armani underwear. The company saw a 150 per cent rise in the sale of their underwear after securing Beckham’s three year deal. His most iconic campaign with the brand was revealed the morning after England beat Andorra for the World cup qualifiers in 2009. Crowds huddled around a billboard at Selfridges eagerly waiting for the unveiling of Beckham’s photoshoot in the early morning. As the first billboard of Beckham was uncovered, the crowd swooned and wolf-whistled their approval, one woman even vomited with excitement.

A CHANGE IN DIRECTION

For the incoming SS25 season, Armani has swapped Milan for New York, announcing that his eponymous brand will showcase its collection in the American metropolis to coincide with the grand opening of his new building on Madison Avenue – a trifecta of a location that will feature an Armani/Ristorante, a new boutique for clothing and homeware as well as a series of residential units. A significant marker of the designer’s commitment to the city and the impact it has on his brand, the showcase is set to reflect this special relationship.

Top image: Photography by Stefano Guindani of Emporio Armani Men’s SS09. Taken from 10+ Issue 2 – EVERYONE, VOCAL, TOGETHER.

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