Dear Shaded Viewers,
Many knew Mr Armani far better than I, but his passing prompted my thoughts to recall my times with him. Back in the day I was always at the headquarters of Giorgio Armani in Milan. I spent many happy hours with the team back then and during my time working at Condé Nast we shot his collections nearly every season. I sometimes went to see the shows twice, and my admiration for his work was obvious to everyone.
One season early on I was having supper with the team when Mr Armani appeared. We all rose and I was introduced, and we chatted a little. It was arranged that I would interview him the following day after the second show of the mainline Giorgio Armani. We had already seen Emporio Armani, and the team all explained that I sketched. After some persuasion I offered my notebook, and Mr Armani spent several minutes turning the pages and inspecting my sketches. He liked them and that was it, I felt immeasurably proud.
The interview was funny because by then I knew firstly that he was shy, and secondly, he hated to express himself in English, I think his work was too important for him to make mistakes or be unclear as he talked to anyone. He was serious when being interviewed and so it was me, his right hand PR person and Mr Armani for the conversation. Poor me getting through the questions and answers, my Italian is not good, but fortunately my fashion vocabulary was its strongest element.
The shows were glorious and men’s or women’s they enchanted the audience, when he launched Armani Prive I was fascinated how he looked to the great imagery of the Italian cinema especially, and he confirmed this in a q and a I sent him once, naming Sophia Loren, Anna Magnani and Silvano Mangano and many others as the inspiration. Indeed, Sophia Loren and Claudia Cardinale were often front row.
Over these years whenever I did I big story, often with a team in Milan he would write a “thank you” note, personal and written in ink. Manners, details and doing the correct thing mattered, not just on a jacket, but in everything.
He is gone now and my memories flood back, being backstage and being surrounded by all the models dressing for the evening wear finale shimmering around me like sirens from an enchanted island. Talking to him once in Paris and for some reason, I now can’t recall, making him laugh. Watching him reach for the hand of one of his team if he was nervous or unsure of the person confronting him. Or simple walking on to the stage in top to toe navy blue and bowing to a standing and vociferous audience.
He was a fashion giant, a trailblazer, and a genius, but he was charming, humble, and private. The outpouring of tributes and analysis of his work is already thundering its way into the world but at its heart was the gentleman I knew so slightly. As they sing in the finale of Act One of Mozarts Cosi Fan Tutti “Soave sia il vento” Mr Armani.
Tony Glenville
