Armani Handbags
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History of Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani originally attended medical school for two years but dropped out in 1957 to become a buyer for an Italian department store. After seven years as a buyer, Armani began designing for Nino Cerruti's men's line, Hitman. At the suggestion of his partner, Sergio Galeotti, Armani formed his own company on July 24, 1975. The Giorgio Armani Company began with ready to wear clothing for men and women which presented a more casual, comfortable look. The line was instantly successful, with a first year sales figure of $1 million. Three years later, Armani entered into a licensing agreement that allowed him to invest in a new building that would house not only his offices but also a theater for fashion shows and act as a residence for Armani himself. As a result, Giorgio was credited with inventing the Italian fashion industry.
The 1980s saw the expansion of the Armani line to include underwear, swimsuits and junior apparel as well as a lower priced version of the line, known as Emporio Armani. Soon, Armani opened both Emporio Armani and Giorgio Armani boutiques in Milan. Along with expansion of his line, Armani became one of the first designers to capitalize on the power of celebrities to market his brand. During the 1980s, Armani was responsible for much of the wardrobe for Miami Vice as well as Batman and American Gigolo. In addition, Armani designed the wardrobes for musical superstars such as Billy Joel, David Bowie, and Eric Clapton.
In the next six years, Armani expanded his empire and increased sales from $75 million to $209 million. Armani accomplished this through various new enterprises. The first Armani Junior store opened in Milan along with Giorgio Armani Japan. Emporio Armani magazine was released in 1989 along with the introduction of two Armani restaurants. While other luxury companies such as Prada and Louis Vuitton sold parts of their companies to larger conglomerates in the 1990s, Armani preferred to maintain control of his name. This decision proved to be a wise one, as Armani was one of the few fashion companies to carry no debt while bringing in over $1.5 billion in revenue during difficult economic times.
The first Armani Exchange (A/X) store opened in New York's Soho district in 1991, where they sold $90 jeans and $75 T-shirts, the less pricey version of the Armani Boutique's clothes. Soon, A/X stores were opened in over two dozen major U.S. Department stores, such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale's. Also in the 1990s, Alitalia hired Armani to design new outfits for its flight attendants and the interiors of its airliners, in addition to the uniforms for Italy's 1994 World Cup soccer team, and Britain's Newcastle United team in 1999.
During 2000, Armani joined with the Zegna Group to produce and distribute a line of men's clothing, called Armani Collezioni. During this same year, Armani debuted a line of cosmetics, a home fashion store, and was honored with an exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. Armani gave himself a twenty-fifth anniversary present of a $73 million store in Milan during this same year. Throughout the 2000s, Armani has continued to resist consolidating his numerous lines and has instead remained dedicated to maintaining control over all of the varied lines tied to his name.
In it's over thirty years in business, Giorgio Armani has become one of the leading fashion houses in the world. Armani has been credited with creating the Italian fashion industry as we know it as well as changing the face of fashion throughout the world. Armani is unique in that Giorgio remains the firm's sole shareholder while remaining steadfastly against the consolidation of the luxury goods industry. The quality of the craftsmanship and classic design style has led to the continual success of Giorgio Armani products. In a time of economic depression, Armani continues to draw myriad customers seeking the highest quality as well as reasonable prices.
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