“The suit has no time” - Remembering Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani’s passing marks the end of an era defined by elegance, personal expression and timeless style. Our Fashion team reflects on his extraordinary life and the enduring legacy he leaves behind, sharing their thoughts on the man who reshaped the way the world dresses.
Lorna Hall, WGSN’s Fashion Content Director, recalls 2020, when Armani told the Financial Times “The suit has no time.” Lorna explains: “He did not really believe in trends. He believed in style and he really believed in the suit. It was truly his vehicle for self-expression and timelessness. When a veteran creative in the design and brand-building world dies, we suddenly realise how much ground they have broken in their lifetime and just how many of the more recent talking points of fashion they actually pioneered.”
Sara Maggioni, WGSN’s Head of Womenswear, musing on Armani’s work over the decades, remarked about how it was innately gender inclusive in its approach. She stumbled on an Italian quote of his where he had summed up his design ethos. She translates, “I eliminate the differences between men and women. I have given men the fluidity, suppleness and softness of women. And I have given women the comfort and elegance of men. I deconstruct and soften.”
Nick Paget, WGSN’s Menswear Senior Strategist, observes that every aspect of today’s modern tailoring stands on the shoulders of Giorgio Armani, particularly those influenced by deconstruction and softening, not least comfort and easy dressing. “He was the godfather of the contemporary suit and tailoring. Redefining smart dress codes in the ’70s and ’80s, Armani’s creations allowed the suit to become a more fluid extension of the wearer, rather than the restricting and conforming garment it had been. It’s this approach that secured his position at the forefront of modern menswear and it’s this vision that remains so compelling and aspirational today.”
Hours before Armani’s death was announced, the LVMH prize winner for young designers was revealed in Paris. It has been awarded to Japanese designer Soshi Otsuki of Soshiotsuki, a fashion creative who is also timeless in his approach to design. Look at how his gorgeous tailoring is inspired by Armani, whose vision continues to drive self-expression and design narratives that seamlessly intersect across continents and cultures.