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Ridiculously
Marvellous
Amazing
New
Insight
…on the brand’s expansion in the lifestyle industry
Becoming history is inevitable. However, crafting it is a radically different matter.
On 24th July 1975 the Armani fashion brand came to life through the visionary initiatives of Giorgio Armani and Sergio Galeotti. Over the past five decades the brand has grown into a true sense of lifestyle – or to put it another way, it managed to capture each and every sense of life as we know it. Whether we talk about sight, smell, hear, taste, or touch, we all want to live ‘Armani’.
Armani craftsmanship is renowned for the ability to exude sophistication and style while preserving meticulous attention to its tailoring, thus, capturing the essence of sartorial excellence. Beginning with dressing representative figures as Diane Keaton and creating the wardrobe for the movie “American Gigolo”, Armani marks its first steps towards the collaboration with Hollywood stars, thus becoming a world-wide emblematic figure not only for Italian fashion, but also for the concepts of minimalism and formality.
But these were only the first stages of the imminent embrace of the public that the brand managed to bring to life. Social niceties aside, as humans we are visual beings rejoicing in the sight of beauty when we recognise it.
Sight
Born to celebrate the confrontation of suburban people with the dreams and dynamism of the metropolis, the horizontal expansion of the clothing brand starts in 1981. Recognizing the desire to bridge the gap between formal work attire and casual wear without sacrificing style, Armani ingeniously crafted garments that seamlessly merged aspiration with accessibility, catering to the aspirations of those suburban people eager to express themselves within the constraints of urban living. With the launch of Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans, and only one year later Armani Junior, Armani was one of the first luxury brands to introduce jeans as a high-end product. Therefore, not only was Armani something people wanted to be seen wearing; it literally opened up everyone’s eyes to the novelty of a common denim item that was made into a masterpiece of fashion luxury.
Smell
And when sight has caught you, inevitably you want to have a taste of it. That’s how luxury works. What’s the dominant memory of a child entering a pastry shop? What’s the first thing that you associate with an early rainy morning? It doesn’t come from an image, let alone from a mere picture in your head – it stems from the scent of a dream gone wild.
Gradually, the fact that the brand could not and would not limit itself to the fashion industry became evident. The first clothing unrelated product which proudly carried the Armani signature was a women’s perfume in 1982. After that, in 1988 the first issue of Emporio Armani Magazine was published, clearly capturing the moment when the brand shifted from following trends to creating them.
Throughout time, many other luxury brands tried to follow the same expansion recipe, but Armani always managed to preserve its originality: in 1997 the brand launched its watches line and opened its first concept store in 2000. In 1996 they even installed their logo on one of the hangars at Milan’s Linate airport and then acquired it.
So once the sky is no longer the limit what do you do? You get back to the other mundane pleasures and prove to everyone that there’s more to it than they ever imagined.
Taste, Hear and Touch
In order to provide autonomy to the form of life he created, Armani knew it could not only focus on the human senses of sight and smell, but he also had to turn its attention to taste, hear and touch. Consequently, in 2000 the first Armani Restaurant opened in Milan accompanied by Armani Teatro and Armani Casa. As time went by the brand expanded even more, establishing deep roots in people’s daily lives, no matter if we are talking about chocolate (Armani Dolci), diamonds (Armani Jewelry) or partying (Armani Privé).
Through these lines, the brand succeeded in a mesmerising expansion of its influence, from pure clothing to every aspect of the luxury lifestyle, marking an undeniable presence destined to change the meaning of the word “luxury” itself. Luxury that would from then reside everywhere, in a place representing a means to socialise or have dinner together, in a business event venue fostering meaningful network connections, or hidden behind the closed doors of privacy, in one’s own mansion, on the soft pillow one would sleep on tonight.
Embracing the Armani lifestyle is not simply about wearing designer clothes or using luxury products; it’s about embracing a philosophy of elegance, sophistication, and self-assurance. It’s about living life with intention, savouring each moment, and celebrating the beauty of a variety of life. In a world that often moves at breakneck speed, the Armani lifestyle serves as a reminder to slow down, appreciate the finer things in life as a whole, and cultivate an aura of timeless elegance that never goes out of style.
