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The House of Armani: The Early Years of the Fashion King

At 73 years old, he is still busy making people look good. Giorgio Armani is one of the preeminent Italian fashion designers in the world, still going strong after 33 years in the industry. Known for his classically tailored, sleek power suits and clean, high quality fabrics, everyone from the who’s who of Hollywood to the bankers on Wall Street have fallen in love with the Armani brand. Now, with over $1.5 billion in revenue and a retail empire that extends to more than 35 countries, Armani himself continues to maintain full control over his business. However, it has been a long, uphill journey for the designer to get where he is today.

From Milan to Massachusetts to Minsk: Armani Takes on the World

Thanks to his contact on the inside, Armani was hired by La Rinascente as a window dresser. He was quickly promoted as a buyer for the department store thanks to his keen eye for style. Working in the men’s wear section, it was here that Armani gained his first valuable exposure to the world of fashion, making regular trips to London to seek out the latest trends.

Lesson #1: Sharpen but Never Stray From Your Vision

“Remain true to yourself and your philosophy,” Armani once said. “Changing in the face of adversity will in fact diminish your credibility with your customers.”

Lesson #2: Try Personalized Promotion On For Size

As a child, Armani would eagerly await the trips his family used to make from his small town of Piacenza to Milan just to catch one of the latest films that had been released. “At the beginning I loved westerns and Italian comedies, but later I fell in love with the neorealist films that inspired my good friend Martin Scorsese,” he says. “It was like being transported from the harsh reality of life in post-war Italy to this magical place. The stars were so glamorous and larger than life that I wanted somehow to share in that.”

Lesson #3: Stretch Your Brand but Do Not Let It Snap

“When I began making jeans, the press was skeptical that someone who made luxury ready-to-wear could start something so commercial,” says Armani. “But I considered it a medium to speak with a less affluent clientele.”

Lesson #4: Micro Managing Can Mean Mega Success

If there is one thing Armani does well, aside from designing clothes of course, it is micro managing. “My work is my life,” he says. “Even though it is good to take a holiday, after two vacations it is boring.”

Lesson #5: Your Conscience is Your Chicest Business Accessory

“We children didn’t have many chances to daydream,” recalls Armani. “It was wartime. There were very real, everyday problems. I didn’t have time to think about my dreams for the future. We were concerned with certain, very basic things: eating, getting cheap schoolbooks, and being able to go to the cinema on Sundays.”

Dressed For Success: How Emporio Armani Became an Empire

“In this business you can’t have a destination, an arrival point,” says Armani. “Otherwise your competitors will overtake you, or you become complacent.” With over $1.5 billion in revenue, Armani remains Chairman, President and CEO of the company he started over thirty years ago. The mere mention of the designer’s name – first or last – and consumers the world over know not only who you are talking about, but also of the luxury product lines for which he has become famous. How did this once-poor boy, hiding from war bombs in a small town in Italy, go on to become one of the world’s leading and most successful experts on fashion and design?

Giorgio Armani Quotes

Giorgio Armani Quotes

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