You've said you looked up to Coco Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, but you’ve also lashed out against French arrogance. What’s the real story?
«I was talking about the French stylists of my times, not those that came before. Chanel wasn’t arrogant: she had an immense talent and knew how to enhance elegance and femininity. Saint Laurent found the right formula to be a bit sexier than Chanel, a bit more modern. Like them, I too tried to free both women and men from many constraints».
Who are the French that are a bit arrogant? Arnault and Pinault?
«No, I wouldn’t say that. Arnault is a great figure. He was the first to suggest a joint venture: Armani & Arnault».
But you’ve never sold your company, unlike almost everyone else. Why?
«Because I’ve never had the time to sit down and think it through properly».
Come on, tell the truth!
«The truth is that I still felt I had a lot more to do on my own. And then – why not – a touch of personal pride».
The old Piedmontese used to say: 'If you sell it, it’s no longer yours.'
«It’s a motto I like, and I’ll make it mine: "If you sell it, it’s no longer yours"».
Sergio Galeotti died in 1985, at 40.
«When Sergio died, a part of me died with him. I must say I’m still amazed that I found within myself the resilience to withstand such an immense pain. We spent a year going from hospital to hospital, and to avoid hurting him, I kept working the whole time so that I could bring him the photos of the fashion shows. In the final days, I could see tears welling in his eyes. It was an extremely difficult time, terribly hard for me to overcome. I heard people say: 'Armani is no longer himself, he’ll be overwhelmed with grief, he won’t make it on his own...' For this reason, when people offered to take a stake in Giorgio Armani, I answered: 'No, thanks, I can do it alone'».
For a year, nobody heard a word from you.
«I had to tap into my willpower to deal with all the pain and anguish. A whole year spent next to Sergio in his hospital bed. And it all happened as our career was taking off, when we were becoming known, setting up our company, reaching worldwide fame. It was the moment I was gaining confidence in myself, and then this blow hit me».
What was your relationship with Versace?
«Distant, but there was a kind of unspoken understanding. I’d see him at the fashion shows, wave to him from afar (Armani mimics waving to Versace), and he’d wave back. We didn’t talk about fashion, we lived in separate worlds, but each was aware of the other’s existence».
You were very different in style: you are a minimalist, Gianni was flamboyant.
«He expanded his company globally, also through celebrities, from Lady Diana onward. At the time, I kept myself very private».
You’ve mentioned that you didn’t live the high life to avoid temptation and to stay loyal to those you loved.
«Well, if you decide to enjoy yourself, you have to go it full throttle. I think Gianni wanted to have fun. Of course, besides that, he did some worthy things in women’s fashion—maybe not everything, but he did some extremely good things».
You designers rarely talked to each other.
«We never really compare notes. It’s a closed world. There’s almost a fear of revealing your plans, your ideas».
And with Valentino?
«A pleasant relationship, because he’s a very kind man, and he was always nice to me. I remember a lunch in Capri, organized by Nino Cerruti, where Valentino was present too, and he was really friendly to me. Even now, every year, he never fails to send me a little message about my collections. He says, "Giorgio, great work. Besides making beautiful clothes, you know how to make them well"».
What do you think of Dolce & Gabbana?
«Two sly guys. But I admire them. For better or worse, people talk about them. They have a different clientele, but I look at their designs and wonder: would a woman wear that? But I see they are changing now».
Miuccia Prada?
«She lives more in the world of Miuccia Prada than in the real world. She doesn’t think about the fact that her dresses have to be worn by normal women. She likes the dresses, she wears them, walks out smiling, but she has no sense of what happens afterwards».
Alessandro Michele?
«He’s forging a path of his own».
Chanel has been without a designer for five months, and some say you would have been perfect.
«I would have gladly accepted the offer, I was ready to go. Honestly, let’s admit it, I did have my eye on Chanel. You copy the best. You don’t copy something mediocre, you copy the iconic leather boots. Nowadays, many fashion houses need real support, because most of what you see around is just imitations».
You’ve also been copied a lot.
«Too much, I’d say. For years by Calvin Klein, and not just by him. Even today, they’re still at it. So much so that I almost feel obliged to reinvent myself a little».
