ARMANI

Sorry, no discount here for the EMPORIO. Today the Independent published its issue with the design and input of Giorgio Armani and some of his friends such as George Clooney and Ashley Judd. Half the proceeds are being devoted to Aids charities so I suppose this self-indulgence may be excused. Mr. Armani's A-Z of fashion is quite amusing to read. On the one hand I have enormous respect, bordering on awe, for what he has achieved. He is the sole shareholder, chief executive and designer of the biggest private fashion company in the world, with sales of €5bn last year. There are more than 350 stores and multiple lines: Armani Privé, the couture; Giorgio Armani, men's and women's ready-to-wear; Armani Collezione, a slightly less expensive line; Emporio Armani, the diffusion line; Armani Jeans; Armani A/X, a licence directed at the teenage market; and Armani Casa, the line of home furnishings.
He has a deserved role in fashion history for his deconstructed power suit, which changed the way both men and women dress. And he has a place in the pantheon of pop culture for introducing Hollywood to high fashion and in effect creating the modern red-carpet experience.

Independent Online Edition > This Britain