Giorgio Armani, the man, is a living legend. Speak the name to anyone at all, even one who is completely out of the fashion loop, and it’s highly unlikely that they’ve not heard of him. After all, the Armani name is now associated with luxury products that run the gamut from suiting to underwear, from home furnishings to hotels, to chocolates and cosmetics even. It is a veritable Italian empire that has extended far beyond the confines of fashion, making it a truly remarkable success story.
This story began just shy of five decades ago, when Armani founded his eponymous brand in 1975 at the age of 41, after years of designing for other Italian brands. He tells us that he’s not one to “really suffer regret” about starting the business relatively late. “I’m very happy with how things have turned out,” he says.
It has been good indeed. In 2014, the Giorgio Armani Group acquired the entirety of the Armani Exchange brand after a multi-year partnership with COMO Holdings’ husband-and-wife duo Ong Beng Seng and Christina Ong that began in 1994. The Giorgio Armani Group now owns almost every facet of its business, while engaged in license partnerships for its beauty and eyewear divisions. It’s a feat to be relished. Rumours were abound throughout the decades of various companies wanting to own a stake in the Giorgio Armani empire, yet Armani held steadfast in maintaining full control at the helm.
At Emporio Armani’s Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear show in Milan, Armani took his bow in front of the set’s lighthouse, a spotlight illuminating him. He flashed the same charismatic smile he’s been giving at the end of every show for decades, except that now, he’s on the cusp of turning 90 (on 11 July, by the way). It’s quite a sight to behold, that in the darkness of the show space, Armani’s presence felt like it filled the entire room—that’s how you know you’re looking at a legend.
ESQUIRE: What is an average work day for you?
GIORGIO ARMANI: That is hard to say as every day is different. My days are full, very full, but I like them like that. I follow a strict routine that affords me the time and space to work in a concentrated way, and this is what makes me happy.
ESQ: With fashion having gone through various changes and challenges in the past decades, what keeps you inspired even after so long?
GA: I rarely lose my inspiration. Though when it does happen, I resort to my pillars, starting with my tried and true, and by doing, again and again, new inspirations begin to arise. My first and greatest inspiration comes from the world and from observing people. I have always accompanied social changes, providing an elegant response to real needs. That is what I continue to aspire to.
ESQ: You had no formal fashion education before starting your own brand. And now, we do see such creative directors at the helm of big-named fashion brands. Do you think a formal fashion education is not requisite to be a good fashion creative?
GA: For me the creative process is instinctive. I know what I am aiming for, and I know what I like and when I have achieved it. I also know when it is not right and how to correct it. I am not sure that talent and creativity have anything to do with formal training, but I am certainly not averse to people getting formally trained. Picasso, after all, was formally trained, and he used this as the springboard for his extraordinary innovations.
ESQ: Are there young designers out there who have captured your attention?
GA: There are some I am curious about, but I would not wish to single anyone out.
ESQ: In a recent interview with Business of Fashion, you mentioned, “I don’t feel I can rule anything out” when it comes to the future of the business, including an acquisition or an IPO. Do you think about the future or are you one to take things as they come?
GA: I am involving, in my plans for the future of the company, a team that can steer the ship. Because my approach has been so determinedly consistent and clear, it is not hard to see how we can maintain the right course. A foundation has been established, and I have very capable heirs and close collaborators who will lead Giorgio Armani into the future and ensure that what I have created lives on; that the Group is kept stable over time and consistently adheres to the principles that are particularly important to me and that have always inspired my work as a designer and an entrepreneur.
ESQ: Italian fashion brands, more so than others, are more interested in keeping their businesses privately owned. Why do you think that is so?
GA: Our culture in Italy is of a fashion industry that is full of family businesses—often with the founders or family members still actively involved. This makes it difficult to see how a group might be formed, as the instinctive position of a family business is to preserve its independence.
ESQ: The Armani brand—across the many different lines—has a consistently elegant persona. What does elegance mean to you?
GA: For me, elegance is a disposition of the spirit that is reflected outwardly, something profound that is echoed in a manner of dressing, but also in the choice of an object. It is a way of being—an innate gift that has a great deal to do with an ability to combine items of clothing and colours as well as to choose shapes in order to give life to one’s own style, a signature character and look which leaves an understated yet lasting impression.
ESQ: Is there a particular male muse in mind when you’re designing menswear?
GA: My father, who was always well-dressed in tailoring from that time.
ESQ: Navy blue is essentially an Armani colour. What drew you to navy blue as a colour of choice for yourself as well as now a signature of Armani?
GA: Navy blue is my go-to colour and daily uniform: a deep, vibrant colour that I find calming and that I have always loved. Blue is a great alternative to black, with all the neutrality of that hue, but with an added element in that it is a colour. It matches my personality—pragmatic and reserved—and focuses other people’s attention on my actions and words.
ESQ: Are you sentimental about the past?
GA: I am not a nostalgic person. Nostalgia leads you to dwell on the past, and from the point of view of a designer, it can be very dangerous: you forget to move on, to develop, to explore. That is why I am resolutely focused on the present and the future. I do value the past, as the present is always built on the lessons of the past. And I have fond memories of my life and my work, my friends, travels and achievements. But I prefer to focus on what I will do today and tomorrow. I live in the moment, and the moment to come.
ESQ: If you were to look back on your fashion career, is there a moment that stands out to you?
GA: Undoubtedly the first positive feedback when I was starting out; that was the moment I realised that I had made a solid contribution to liberating men and women from rigidity in the way they dress by offering clothes with simple, natural elegance, and achieving my vision. And then the various awards that were confirmation that my job was always going in the right direction. Dressing Richard Gere for American Gigolo opened up a world for me to work with cinema and allowed me to reach beyond Italy... as well as gave me notoriety, which culminated with the cover of Time magazine in 1982—these are moments I will never forget.
ESQ: You’re still going strong. Is retirement something that you’ve considered?
GA: I don’t think I will ever stop working because dressing people is my life’s great passion. I feel that I have so much still to do and I am genuinely as excited about getting to my studio every day as I was when I first started out all those years ago. In some sense, more so, as today there are fewer worries about whether I will be able to pay the bills.
ESQ: With your wealth of experience and knowledge, what’s one wisdom you’d like to impart?
GA: One life lesson that I have learnt is that for success, hard work is essential: talent is real, but I don’t believe that on its own it is enough to guarantee success. Work hard and possibly harder, believe in your ideas, work a bit harder, and you’ll get to the top. And even if you don’t get to the top, there is nothing to worry; being true to oneself is the best reward. Be yourself. Follow your passion. Stick to your beliefs. Dare to dream.
ESQ: At the end of it all, what would you like your legacy to be?
GA: The legacy I’d like to leave is one of integrity and commitment, of respect and attention to reality.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
It is always interesting acquainting with someone for the first time, celebrity status notwithstanding. Largely because you never know which version of them you're meeting. No one maintains an utterly identical self while meandering through the varied seasons of life.
I would like to believe it's a good moment in Justin H. Min's timeline to meet him. He's not quite a household name yet, but it's more than fair to say he's on the better side of fame. Most would predominantly know him as Ben Hargreeves aka The Horror or his alternate self, Sparrow Number Two from The Umbrella Academy. Hardcore fans may even recognise him from his stint with Wong Fu Productions.
At this juncture, we're discussing his latest release on Disney+, The Greatest Hits. The premise takes relatability quite so literally. Ever felt like listening to a particular song transported you back in time? It actually does for female protagonist Harriett, for whom the act has now become an obsessive plan to potentially undo her lover's ultimate death.
Min plays the new man Harriett encounters, whose existence inevitably forces her to make that fateful decision. A choice (no spoilers!) he still doesn't quite know if he would have made the same way, despite heavy contemplation.
"It's a movie about the exploration of grief, and I was grieving a friend that I lost when I received the script," he shares. "It's amazing that I can do art that resounds with me on a very personal level, often at a very specific time in my life the last few years."
Not one with dream genres in mind, the only litmus test Min has is the emotional connection to the material that comes his way; because why would you put your heart and soul into something you are not passionate about?
One character that naturally surfaces is Ben from Randall Park's Shortcomings. If actors enjoy playing roles vastly apart from themselves to have a distinct divide, the highly-flawed and insecure Ben was terrifying for Min.
"The joke when I talk about him is that's who I was before therapy," he chuckles lightly, "He did feel so close to me in many ways that it was very vulnerable. Other characters I could hide behind different qualities that make up the person, but this felt raw sharing a lot of my own brokenness."
Ben, who finds his source in Adrian Tomine's graphic novel of the same name, feels unnervingly like someone you might know in real life. Which begs the question: exactly which traits did Min see in himself most?
"He has a strong sense of what he likes and doesn't. His taste in movies is very elevated, and yet he is unable to produce the kind of art that he loves because he's paralysed by his own perfectionism," Min says, explaining a similar revelation in his early aspirational phase, "You have to be willing to put yourself out there, do the work required to build a portfolio and hopefully reach where your taste and your art aligns."
Experience also puts crappy shows in a new perspective. "We can all watch and say it's so bad but we don't know how many things were needed to work out perfectly for it to be done right."
Min agrees that actors often only have the script—a fraction of the final product—to gauge; the execution you can only hope for the best. "That's why when I see a movie now and dislike it, I have so much more compassion than I used to."
However, one special script did make him cry. Not a cinematic singular-tear-down-the-cheek, but unapologetic sobbing on the plane.
"First of all, I would disclaim that by saying some of that was due to altitude," he clears his throat semi-sheepishly and grins, adding that he's not one to cry much but later discovered that heightened sentimentalism during transit is universal. In his defence, this theory has been widely supported by several psychiatric articles and reported stats.
See, the thing about After Yang (which if anything, you should watch solely for that rad dance break at the beginning) is not your typical robot flick. We don't just mean because it's an A24 starring Colin Farrell.
"Majority of android films and TV is always about the robot wanting to become human, and the thing I was so moved by was that Yang was so content being a robot. So content with serving his family and found so much reverence and dignity in doing his duty."
"It's kind of that Asian immigrant mentality that I think really struck a chord. The idea that my parents have no other joy than to see their kids succeed, you know? That's why a lot of immigrant parents move to America, for their kids to have a better life."
Min trips on his words for a split-second and continues, "I thought about my parents and it broke my heart because I want more for them? My mom owned a [dry cleaning business] for 20 years, my dad worked at a supermarket and they were just perfectly happy doing that. Anything to keep our family afloat; for my brother and I to have a future."
It's beyond evident that family and his Asian roots are dear to the actor's heart. Presented the hypothetical chance to access anyone's memories the way Yang's was, there wasn't much hesitation.
"I love my parents and they've been so great, but as much as we try to meet each other where we're at, there's always gonna be a fundamental disconnection because of the difference in where we were born and raised," he muses.
"There's also seeing your parents as this sort of omnipotent superheroes who are always there to take care of you and don't really have ambitions and feelings of their own. I think navigating my mom's world through her eyes could give me that much more empathy for her as a human."
Besides that instance where we as children awaken to the fact that our parents knew us our whole lives, but we perhaps only know them for half of theirs, there were other aspects the movie confronted him to consider more critically.
"The ever-evolving question I'm constantly ruminating on is: If I ever have kids, what part of my Asian identity would I want to pass down? Would I go as far as Korean New Year traditions? I don't even know enough myself to feel like I can accurately teach them… so there's no easy answer."
Still, it doesn't matter whether his Asian identity is at the forefront of his acting. It's as much fun to deep dive into the dialogue as it is simply left as a subtle nod. Min is content to work with the people he admires, participate in discourses about said work and is at peace with current circumstances.
Witnessing peers that he entered the industry with leave; the opportunity to sustain a decent living post-pandemic post-strikes; doing what he loves without countless side jobs as he used to, is in itself, career success.
It's surely been a roller coaster ride since cutting his teeth on The Umbrella Academy, which sees its culmination this August. To summarise, that's going from recurring character to series regular; from bidding the cast farewell to screaming in his Toronto apartment when he read the secret new script that brought him back.
"And before Netflix, no one was dealt fame in such rapid ascension. Even with the biggest stars, you were watched all around the globe in a gradual rollout. Whereas now you're instantly in 190 countries with millions watching. I don't think enough people talk about how crazy that is."
These days, catching a break between press tours and role-prep, Min has retreated to his happy place—alone in nature.
"I've been slowly ticking national parks off my list," he recounts the most recent being Arches National Park, but Redwoods is one he finds himself returning to. "There's something about the grandeur of those trees that just makes me feel so small in the best way possible; and acknowledge that these ‘huge problems' in my head really aren't that big of a deal."
Success on an individual level though, is something he ponders long to define.
When Colin Farrell called you beautiful, I proffer, gaining a merry burst of laughter.
"Exactly, such a core memory in my life now," he humours, referring to the very first time the two met. On a serious note, he goes, "Sounds cliché but living more authentically. By that I mean figuring out more about myself, my values and hopefully learning to live by them."
Who would the authentic Justin H. Min be?
The man who was once less confident and perchance a little more self-centred, or the one before me; who carries an open, positive energy that you can see why he resonates with crews and audiences alike. Who was previously a photojournalist, but whose fascination with the stories of others persists in his curiosity towards mine through the two-way conversation that the interview eventually became.
The actor who resolved from the onset to have his middle initial be present in his stage name because he feels tethered to his Korean identity. Yet was not aware of what "Hong Kee" means (he's convinced it was a phonetic preference his parents had rather than significant symbolism …but he's going to check with them after this).
The child of immigrants, who recalls Celine Dion's It's All Coming Back To Me Now as one of three albums playing in the car on family road trips. Who abides by the culture that surrounds him, who reflects on essential truths when in the forests and in the air; to imbue its amalgamation in his craft, and one day, in his children who would look back and wonder what the world was like through his eyes.
Photography: Art Streiber
Fashion Direction: Asri Jasman
Art Direction: Joan Tai
Styling: Oretta Corbelli
Producer: Cezar Grief at COOL HUNT INC
Grooming: Aika Flores at EXCLUSIVE ARTISTS using SKIN 1004 and ORIBE
Styling Assistant: Alessandra Mai Vinh
Location: Downtown LA Proper Hotel
Given the increasingly intertwined realms of fashion and design, it's expected that major fashion labels continue to expand their design repertoire into furniture during Milan Design Week. As the world's largest furniture fair, the event showcases the latest in furniture and design, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Below, we take a closer look at a number of furniture collections and collaborations by fashion brands that were released and showcased during the week.
Titled the "MCM Wearable Casa Collection", the collection by MCM was created in collaboration with Atelier Biagetti and curated by Maria Cristina Didero. This was the MCM's first time taking part in Milan Design Week, yet the collection effortlessly showcased its authenticity. MCM is known for its rebellious spirit, and this collection reimagines the role of furniture through unconventional designs that fit into the avant-garde. The collection brings the audience out of this world with its portable and multifunctional pieces in thought-provoking designs.
Longchamp held an exhibition at its boutique on Via della Spiga from 15 to 21 April, spotlighting on studio högl borowski—headed by Viennese design duo Stefanie Högl and Matthias Borowski. Through the their careful selection of materials used, unique sensory experiences are constantly being explored. Ranging from furniture to sculptural objects, studio högl borowski’s innovative pieces create new dialogues between fashion, art and design. Borowski’s fascination for craftsmanship, shapes and proportions and Högl’s love for colour, materiality and telling stories often lead to their unique compositions in designs.
Saint Laurent Rive Droite teamed up with the Gio Ponti Archives, Ginori 1735 and the Fundación Anala y Armando Planchart to exhibit the Villa Planchart Segnaposto Plates collection. Originally designed by Gio Ponti, the collection is decorated with various symbols of the villa of Anala and Amando Planchart. These traditionally crafted decorative porcelain plates are painted by hand in Ginori 1735’s Italian Manifattura. The Gio Ponti-Villa Planchart exhibition was held during Milan Design Week at the Chiostri di San Simpliciano. The limited-edition plates are now available for sale online as well as at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite boutiques in Los Angeles and Paris.
Versace opened their doors to their original Milan home and design Atelier at Palazzo Versace, Via Gesù 12, to showcase the latest Versace Home collection. The collection's designs prominently feature iconic symbols like the Medusa, Barocco, and Greca, exuding luxury in true Versace style. Visitors immersed themselves in the rich history of Palazzo Versace through an audio experience titled "Versace Home: If These Walls Could Talk". It narrated stories of the Palazzo's significance in fashion and culture, including the historic Fendace fashion show that saw the coming together of Fendi and Versace.
Bottega Veneta collaborated with Cassina and Fondation Le Corbusier to present On the Rocks at Palazzo San Fedele, focusing on the LC14 Tabouret Cabanon. Le Corbusier originally designed the Tabouret for his cabin, and took inspiration from a washed-up whiskey box. It features masterful dovetail joints and oblong openings. The exhibition showcased custom editions of the Tabouret, including a new limited-edition tribute in signature Bottega Veneta's Intrecciato. The wooden editions feature a traditional Japanese charred-wood technique, providing natural protection to the wood while revealing the unique patterns of the wood grain. On the Rocks also offered a glimpse into Palazzo San Fedele, that's soon to become Bottega Veneta's headquarters.
Hermès presented a captivating blend of contemporary home collections with iconic heritage designs, showcasing their enduring commitment to craftsmanship and excellence. Inspired by vibrant jockey silk jersey motifs, leather goods and intricately crafted blankets in subtle shades take centrestage alongside luxurious cashmere bedspreads featuring intricate patterns. The new Diapason d’Hermès lounge chair in leather and hammered aluminium, along with ethereal lamps inspired by equestrian vaulting, reflected Hermès' innovative design approach. The showcase epitomises Hermès' spirit of merging artistic excellence with impeccable craftsmanship, creating timeless pieces imbued with sophistication and style.
Giorgio Armani reopened the doors of Palazzo Orsini, the brand's historic headquarters, to present the new Armani/Casa collection entitled "Echi dal mondo" ("Echoes from the World"). Each room in Palazzo Orsini corresponded to a geographical area that inspired Armani throughout his career, identifiable by nods to different aesthetics and fashion cultures. Inspired by atmospheres, colours and shapes encountered during Armani’s travels or research, the collection is presented in settings never been seen before, offering an intimate experience. It was seamlessly integrated with Armani’s personal memories and travel mementos, weaving a narrative that celebrated creativity, craftsmanship and diverse cultural influences.
Loewe engaged 24 different artists to create a new collection of lamps as part of its Milan Design Week effort titled, "Loewe Lamps". Utilising a wide range of mediums, the collection centres around the manipulation of light. The floor, table, and suspended lamps—presented in the Palazzo Citterio—were materialised using bamboo, paper, leather, and glass into innovative forms inspired by natural and man-made objects. Among the featured artists, Genta Ishizuka's suspended lamp stood out, reflecting an organic cell with glossy lacquer layers and gold finishing.
Gucci’s creative director Sabato De Sarno’s gravitation towards Rosso Ancora was further established in Design Ancora. Curated by Michela Pelizzari, Gucci exhibited its new furniture collection at its flagship store at via Monte Napoleone, 7. Five iconic Italian furniture pieces were reimagined and customised in Gucci’s signature Rosso Ancora, featuring works from Italian design masters including Mario Bellini and Tobia Scarpa. “Through Design Ancora, Gucci doesn’t simply celebrate old icons, it creates new ones,” explains Pelizzari. “The aura emanating from the brand spotlights five pieces by Italian masters that are perfect from a design standpoint but less known to the general public.”
Designed under the creative direction of Silvia Venturini Fendi, the new Fendi Casa 2024 collection introduced new products while maintaining iconic elements like the FF logo and Pequin pattern, showcased in luxurious materials and meticulous craftsmanship. Fendi further ventured into tableware and home textiles with its new home accessories collection, featuring elegant designs in French Limoges porcelain, artisanal woven leather, and blown glass. The collection intertwined Fendi's fashion universe with exquisite home decor, offering a luxurious and distinctive aesthetic.
Louis Vuitton unveils a range of exquisite offerings at its Garage Traversi store in Milan. The new Bed Trunk, a modern interpretation of Louis Vuitton's original design from 1865, combines tradition with innovation. The trunk features the iconic Monogram Canvas exterior and an interior crafted from aluminium and beechwood, and transforms effortlessly into a sturdy bedframe. Iconic Objets Nomades designs like the Cocoon and Bell Lamp were also showcased, blending Louis Vuitton's craftsmanship with contemporary design. Additionally, an expanded tableware collection introduced a new beige colourway, showcasing a fusion of classic and modern aesthetics.
Nothing feels quite as satisfying as purchasing a piece of garment that fits like a glove. It’s a stroke of luck unless your body is conventionally shaped and match the standard dimensions of pattern blocks used by ready-to-wear manufacturers. Even then, these standards can differ between brands, and finding the right fit—for those who care about the subtleties of a well-fitting ensemble—can be challenging.
Ready-to-wear makes up a significant chunk of the clothing market, ranging from fast fashion to luxury assortments offered by major brands. While the designs and the levels of craftsmanship (if any) vary, the ease and relative speed of producing ready-to-wear make it the default choice for the everyman.
The idea of ready-to-wear fashion isn’t new, and its proliferation and mainstream access had arrived by the 20th century. Driven by the Industrial Revolution, ready-to-wear gained traction with the accelerated speed of producing yarns, as well as the invention of pattern-cutting and sewing machinery. Technology would continue to advance, capable of producing new yarns and blends of fabric at quantities commanded by economies of scale. This is why we’re able to rock up to a store, pick a shirt, try it on in the fitting room, and pay for it at the cashier, all in less than 30 minutes, or cart out a piece of garment in a matter of minutes online.
“It was a time of big fashion corporations, globalisation and an impersonal approach to design,” says Giorgio Armani. “I believe it is important to remember where fashion design started—with the desire to make beautiful clothes for people to wear.” With this intention, the Italian maestro decided to embark on a made-to-measure service in 2006 that is rooted in his design language of ease and comfort.
Fluid shapes and relaxed tailoring are Giorgio Armani signatures and its made-to-measure service simplifies the offering into two categories. The “Soho” is more suited to those looking for contemporary and sophisticated silhouettes, while the “Wall Street” range offers classic and traditional silhouettes. Both feature designs from the Giorgio Armani ready-to-wear collections too for daywear and eveningwear.
The new Ngee Ann City boutique is one of a select number of Giorgio Armani shops around the world offering the made-to-measure service. Clients need only turn up for an initial consultation, where a trained staff will take their measurements needed and go through the customisations that can be done—from fabric choice to type of lapel, down to the lining and buttons.
The process is fairly streamlined:, and clients are given an option for a second fitting before the made-to-measure piece is finished. The final garment can either be picked up at the boutique or delivered to the client. And after that first piece has been made, the client’s measurements and unique pattern will be stored in the Giorgio Armani database—no further measurements are needed for subsequent orders, unless the clients’ figure change over time.
While more known for its slate of beautiful patinated leather shoes, Berluti too offers a tailoring service. And just like its bespoke shoe service, its Grand Mesure suits are technically bespoke—a piece cut exactly to the measurement of one’s body with personalisation options that are almost limitless. The brand partners up with Parisian bespoke tailor Arnys (acquired by parent company LVMH in 2012 and folded into Berluti) for its Grand Mesure tailoring.
More than just the garment itself, bespoke services often relates to the client’s lifestyle—how he lives, what he does, where he sees himself wearing the piece, etc. Because having almost a limitless range of options to choose from can be daunting, the tailor is able to guide and advise on fabric choices (over 3,000 in total) and even the tiniest details. If not, a Grand Mesure collection provides initial inspirations on pieces to work with, such as a safari jacket, denim jeans and the emblematic Berluti Forestière jacket.
Three weeks after the initial consultation, the first fitting is scheduled. If it’s a suit that’s being crafted, the unfinished jacket will be presented to determine if the fit is perfect. A completed pair of trousers is presented at this fitting. A month later, a complete bespoke suit will be presented during a second fitting where adjustments to length, width and overall fit can be made promptly. And just like that, about two months after the first consultation, a Berluti Grand Mesure suit is made to one’s unique dimensions.
But of course, made-to-measure and bespoke services aren’t restricted to traditionally tailored garments.
Prada’s made-to-measure service extends to leather outerwear as well as knitwear. For the former, clients are able to choose between six outerwear styles: blazer, caban, coat, bomber, biker and overcoat. A selection of three types of leathers are used with a high level of customisation options. But because leather is a more precious material to work with, the artisan will only start cutting the chosen leather once a canvas toile is tried and fitted on the client with no further changes.
The range is wider for Prada’s made-to-order knitwear. Ten classic Prada knits can be customised using two lightweight gauge knits—superfine wool f.30 and superfine cashmere f.18. Colours can be taken from Prada’s extensive runway archives to create a knit that’s Prada in every way but still unique to one’s whims.
Drawing on the execution of a modern tailoring wardrobe, Zegna’s made-to-measure service consists of more traditional tailoring to the brand’s more relaxed proposals. Refined materials such as Zegna’s 100 per cent traceable Oasi Cashmere come in elegant monochromatic shades with knit tailoring exemplifying the contemporary aesthetic that is signature to the brand. Key outerwear styles such as the overshirt and chore jacket too are part of the mix, done in a choice of fine fabrics that traipse the line of performance and style seamlessly.
The idea of made-to-measure for brands largely involved in ready-to-wear but with an appreciation for traditional tailoring and craft, is to offer a level of service that’s one of the backbones of luxury. Anybody can go to a boutique and buy something off the rack, but not everyone can get the same piece tailored specifically for them.
“I realised that I have clients who really do want a unique product, made specifically for them. Hence, I decided to create a made-to-measure service, where a customer gets all the benefits of a tailor-made garment—unique fit, fabric, lining, buttons, details—as well as the signature Giorgio Armani look,” says Armani.
It’s also about appreciating the time and artistry behind the craft. With made-to-measure, it’s a given that a big portion of creating the garment is done by hand by skilled artisans. And to know that you’ve had a hand in designing your very own Prada knitwear or Zegna jacket? What could be more luxurious than that?
The look—that pretty much sums up the Giorgio Armani's latest menswear outing during Milan Fashion Week Men's. The staging for the show was intimate with two separate timings (this style director might have misread his invite and turned up for the wrong time slot) and with almost zero information given. And up till now, there's no official collection notes for the Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection.
The reason? Mr Armani wants the reactions and reviews to be organic points-of-view untainted by his personal intentions behind the collection. And quite honestly, that's a rarity. And also a beautiful thing, because as a fashion journalist/writer/editor you're then left to give an opinion based solely on what's seen and experienced.
So here it goes...
The fit: From the very first moment that the opening look came onto the runway, there's no denying that it's a Giorgio Armani creation. The ease and fluidity of the suit was an Armani classic, but tweaked. The shoulders were dropped ever so slightly, with the bodice cut oversized. The effect was a decidedly oversized fit done with intent such that the model still looked well-proportioned instead of seemingly swimming in fabric.
The idea ran throughout the Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection. Classic menswear suiting fabrications—herringbone, Prince of Wales checks, houndstooth—were reimagined in roomier cuts and their patterns manipulated just enough for an update. They're paired with signature Giorgio Armani geometric motifs set against a relatively muted palette of favourites the likes of blacks, greys, and navies, but at times, with a flash of bright hues to keep things interesting.
The details: There's not much in the accessories department to speak off (Giorgio Armani isn't exactly an accessories house) but the small pouches with braided straps in the more technical ski-ready portion of the collection looked like a steady combination of form and function.
We do however, need to talk about the styling. A number of the looks had trouser hems stuffed into boots, which is hardly a groundbreaking idea but served to further emphasise the cut and airiness of the fabrics used, even with the seemingly thicker wools.
Three exceptional looks: Look 4's somewhat mismatched combination that looks irreverently cool; the coordinate in look 23 that's simple but beautifully executed; and look 31's lapel-less suiting.
The takeaway: If it ain't broke, don't fix it—or maybe just a tad.
View some of the Giorgio Armani Autumn/Winter 2024 menswear collection in the gallery below.
