Giorgio Armani S.p.A., commonly known as Armani, is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan by Giorgio Armani which designs, manufactures, distributes and retails haute couture, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, accessories, and home interiors. Among others, Armani licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear[2] and L'Oréal for fragrances and cosmetics.[3] As of 2017, it is considered Italy's second-largest fashion group behind Prada.[4]
In addition to the couture line Armani Privé, Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani are the company's ready-to-wear lines that show at Milan Fashion Week. Selling at lower prices is Armani Exchange.[5]
History
Armani and his partner, architect Sergio Galeotti, founded Giorgio Armani SpA in 1975, reportedly on money from the sale of Armani's Volkswagen Beetle car for $700.[6]
In 1978, Armani signed a license with Gruppo Finanziario Tessile (GFT).[6] In 1991, Armani entered into a manufacturing and distribution license with Simint, when the company launched A|X Armani Exchange.[7] By 1993, the Armani name was represented by 23 licensees and two large joint ventures in Japan.[8]
By the 1990s, the company's strategy was to cancel licenses and take production in-house in a bid to exert more control over quality and distribution.[7]
Controversy
In 1999, the New York Times and others raised concerns about a generous donation made by Giorgio Armani SpA to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York shortly before the museum announced that it would pay homage to Armani himself with a major retrospective of his work.[34]
In a 2014 report, Greenpeace publicly criticized Armani and other luxury brands after having found traces of chemicals that can pollute waterways in children's clothing and shoes; in response, the company committed to abolishing all chemicals that could cause environmental damage to production sites by 2020.[35] Also in 2014, Giorgio Armani SpA paid 270 million euros to Italian tax authorities to settle a dispute over payments from the group's subsidiaries abroad.[36]
In 2015, Giorgio Armani Corp's former general counsel Fabio Silva filed a $75 million lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against the company, accusing it of discriminating against him because of his Mexican origins and firing him for having cancer.[37]
Brands
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani (originally Giorgio Armani Borgonuovo) is a high-end label specialising in men's and women's ready-to-wear, accessories, glasses, cosmetics, and perfumes. It is available in Giorgio Armani stores, speciality clothiers, and some high-end department stores. The logo is a curved "G" completing a curved "A", forming a circle. In 2001, Armani created a joint venture with Vestimenta for the production of the men's and women's Borgonuovo line.[42]
Giorgio Armani worked with Albert Wolsky for Duplicity (2009),[43] with Lindy Hemming on the costumes for the cast of both The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012),[44] with April Ferry for Elysium (2013)[43]
Former Brands
Armani Collezioni
Established in 1979,[9] Armani Collezioni (previously known as Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni for women and Mani for men before 2000)[136] was a diffusion line of Giorgio Armani that retailed at a lower price point than Giorgio Armani and the haute couture line, Armani Privé. The logo was typically displayed in black on a white label, with "Armani" larger and "Collezioni" beneath it, though variations existed.
Armani Collezioni offered made-to-measure tailored suits and shirts, that allowed customers to select individual elements. The line was sold in freestanding stores dedicated exclusively to Collezioni in Milan and Paris, as well as in department stores and outlets. In contrast, Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani were primarily available in freestanding stores. A sport-oriented sub-line, "Armani Collezioni Active", was also available, similar to the EA7 line from Emporio Armani. As part of a brand restructuring in 2017, Armani Collezioni, along with Armani Jeans, was integrated into Emporio Armani.[93]
Further reading
External links
References
- Stephen Jewkes and Claudia Cristoferi (July 26, 2021), Armani bounces back from pandemic as sales rise 34% in first half Reuters.^
- Luisa Zargani. Giorgio Armani Touts Eyewear With Luxottica Women's Wear Daily, 2013-02-25, retrieved 2022-09-03^
- Nicola Mira.