GiorgioArmani

Giorgio Armani to Design for Lady Gaga

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping, Celebrity Design

Lady Gaga is known for her 'love it or hate it' fashion sense and it seems that designer Giorgio Armani has stationed himself firmly on the 'love it' side and designed several outfits for just for her to use on stage during her current concert tour. Shown here is one of the creations, a sparkling structured bodysuit with plunging neckline and exaggerated shoulders, and others include a floor-length black trench and a mini-dress with dramatic mirror effects. All the outfits are made with matching shoes and sunglasses, also by Armani, who was quoted on Lady Gaga as saying "In addition to her formidable songwriting skills, she is a modern fashion phenomenon."

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Tags: giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, lady gaga, LadyGaga

This Year's Holiday Shopping Lesson: Lux Goes Online

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

The web isn't just for bargains. Some of the top luxury lifestyle brands in the world are turning to the internet to beef up their sales -- a must in a market where brick-and-mortar is lagging in the all-important holiday season. Giorgio Armani and Valentino Fashion Group, which have generally steered clear of the prolies shopping online, are changing their attitudes, as they have had to cope with the most severe recession in seventy years. Roberto Cavalli and Salvatore Ferragamo have joined the fray, too, both opening online stores in the past month.

In addition to younger buyers who are more comfortable skipping the store, a sense of "luxury shame" is causing many to turn to the web. The anonymity, once reserved for porn purchases, allows customers to indulge in big-ticket buys without having to endure looks of envy (or worse). If you need proof that luxury spending is going digital, take a look at Italy. This year, online sales of Italian luxury products are expected to surge 42 percent to $500 million, according to a study by Politecnico. Last year, it fell six percent for the luxury goods industry as a whole. In Italy, around 14 percent of holiday shopping will occur ont eh web, according to Deloitte's 2009 Christmas Survey.

The luxury industry's online endeavors are not limited to traditional stores, though Stefano Sassi, Valentino's CEO, notes that the startup costs are lower and that "There's a very interesting margin on e-commerce" as a result. Armani has launched applications for smartphones, including the iPhone and Blackberry and has launched a Christmas website.

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Tags: armani, BlackBerry, Christmas, christmas shopping, ChristmasShopping, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, holiday, Holiday season, holiday shopping, holidays, HolidaySeason, HolidayShopping, iphone, luxury, online retail, online retailers, online retailing, OnlineRetail, OnlineRetailers, OnlineRetailing, roberto cavalli, RobertoCavalli, salvatore ferragamo, SalvatoreFerragamo, Valentino

Armani To Design Roman Apartments

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Designer Giorgio Armani showed his latest Armani Prive line in Paris recently but as usual the permatan Italian has multiple irons on the fire. His Armani/Casa division will be responsible for creating the interior of exclusive apartments in Rome in the Cavour220 project. The project will consist of 62 units in a historical block composed of six linked buildings around a central garden along the Via Cavour which leads to the Coliseum.

Owners will be able to customize the units personal tastes on the basis of layouts and finishes proposed by Armani/Casa, admittedly likely a narrow range. Armani is famous for his minimalist style, a look that was shown to great effect in his designs for a Manhattan high-rise. In a statement published by Reuters, Armani said that the ancient buildings will be transformed into a "prestigious, sophisticated, cutting-edge residential complex." The apartments will be ready for occupancy next year.

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Tags: armani, cavour220, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, rome

Bruce Willis & New Supermodel Wife Bare (Almost) All for W

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Design

W magazine / Steven Klein

It looks like aging action hero Bruce Willis, 54, and his new supermodel wife Emma Heming, 32, are trying out to be the next Brad and Angelina. The pair just shot a sizzling cover feature for the new W magazine with a decidedly kinky S&M theme. (Click here for all the pix which fyi include a couple of rather risqué shots.) The couple, who got married married in the Turks and Caicos in March, are in amazing shape, which makes sense considering Heming is a lingerie model and they met at the Los Angeles gym of their trainer, Gunnar Peterson, in 2005. Photographed by Steven Klein, the saucy shoot is of course peppered with luxury clothing and accessories, including above a Dior leather jacket, Eres lingerie and half of a Giorgio Armani tuxedo. You can read the accompanying cover story here and learn about what went on behind the scenes at the shoot here.

Tags: Bruce Willis, BruceWillis, Dior, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Turks and Caicos, TurksAndCaicos, W magazine, WMagazine

Armani's Former Yacht Gets A Price Cut

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Some of the world's most beautiful yachts are having a tough time selling right now. Mariu is a stunning 163-foot yacht that has berths for 12 guests that was originally built for Giorgio Armani and has an interior done in Armani's sleek minimalist style. The yacht was built by Codecasa in 2003 and was available for charter for a time. The yacht is for sale with Large Yacht Solutions and Malcolm MacLean reports that she has had a price reduction from €23.8 million to €19.95 million. Check out the yacht website here.

Meanwhile, Armani has moved on to a new larger yacht from Codescasa, the military-green Main which he was spotted on last summer.

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Tags: armani, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, mariu, yacht for sale, YachtForSale

Beckhams Borrow Clooney's Lake Como Villa

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Sports

George Clooney is quite a pal. According to Hello magazine, the movie star just lent his lavish $6 million villa on Italy's famed Lake Como (above) to soccer superstar David Beckham and his wife Victoria. Beckham, whose taste for the finer things in life has been often noted here, is being fought over by two soccer teams, the LA Galaxy and Italy's AC Milan. The Beckhams will take some relaxing time out at the villa while waiting to see the if LA Galaxy will release him from his contract and allow a transfer to AC Milan, the magazine reports. "George has really taken David under his wing since the transfer trouble started," they note.

The luxurious villa, which has played host to many of Clooney's superstar pals, is just half an hour away from the Beckhams' base in Milan. Clooney, 47, and Beckham, 33, became friends after being introduced by Giorgio Armani, (whose underwear ads the Beckhams star in), at the Met Ball in New York last May. Luxe Lake Como, where scenes from the last two James Bond movies were shot, has long been a favorite retreat for Italy's rich and famous and the international jetset. As we mentioned last month, the contents of late designer Gianni Versace's villa there are being auctioned off by Sotheby's in March.

Tags: Celebrity, David Beckham, DavidBeckham, George Clooney, GeorgeClooney, Gianni Versace, GianniVersace, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Italy, James Bond, JamesBond, Lake Como, LakeComo, Milan, Soccer, Victoria Beckham, VictoriaBeckham

Armani's Plans For A New York City Flagship Store

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Giorgio Armani is certain New York City shoppers will still be interested in shopping next year. He will be opening a new four-story flagship store on FIfth Avenue in February. His modern glass palace of all things Armani will include all the Armani ranges including his home decor line Armani Casa. The 43,000-square foot space will also have an exclusive capsule collection of limited edition products inscribed with "Armani/5th Avenue" to celebrate its launch.

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Tags: armani, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, new york city, NewYorkCity

Armani to Open Hotel in Milan

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Back in September my colleague Deirdre Woollard reported that the largest Giorgio Armani boutique in the world was opening in the designer's hometown of Milan. Now Armani has begun construction on a hotel there as well, located in an historic building designed by architect Enrico A. Griffini in 1937 that also houses an Armani store. "I feel a very special involvement in the project for the Armani Hotel Milano as it is located here, in my hometown," Armani tells Vogue UK.

"Every aspect of the hotel is a reflection of my aesthetic philosophy, and its position, above the Manzoni 31 concept store, will offer my guests the chance to experience a complete Armani lifestyle. I believe the hotel's design will perfectly fit the spirit of Milan as a capital of style, whilst offering a new experience of hospitality within its fashion district." The world's first Armani hotel is slated for Dubai, and plans are also underway for a London branch.

Tags: Armani, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Hotel, Milan

Armani's 20th Anniversary Sunglasses

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Armani Eyewear has a new special sunglasses design to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Evoking a slight Lennon vibe, the limited edition glasses are an updated version of one of Armani's early designs and feature white goldtone palladium, rounded gray/green lenses, and curved arms (I hate the way those feel, personally, even though they look good when you're not wearing them). Each pair is engraved with its edition number of 0001 - 1000 on the inside by the temple and comes in a specially marked "Anniversary Editon" Neiman Marcus case. $1000

Via acquire

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Tags: anniversary, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, glasses, limited edition, LimitedEdition, sunglasses

100 Years of Vanity Fair Portraits

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books

Graydon Carter and the editors of Vanity Fair have just published a book of photographs spanning 100 years of the magazine: Vanity Fair: The Portraits, A Century of Iconic Images (Abrams, $65). At 348 pages, the book contains over 100 color and 200 black-and-white photos of personalities ranging from Picasso, Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn to Julia Roberts, Giorgio Armani and Brad Pitt, by the world's most famous photographers. An accompanying exhibition will open at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art on Oct. 26 and will run through the 1st of March.

Tags: Celebrities, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Graydon Carter, GraydonCarter, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, LosAngelesCountyMuseumOfArt, Magazines, Photography, Vanity Fair, VanityFair

Bullfighter Goes Armani

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

This September in Rhonda, Andalusia, the annual "Corrida Goyesca" bullfight will take place and the bullfighter, Cayetano Rivera from Spain, will be wearing an outfit specially designed for him for the event by Giorgio Armani.

The traditional "suit of lights" that bullfighter's wear will this time appear in Armani's signature shade of greyish beige and will feature sequins, crystals, and silver thread embroidery.

An interesting note: Rivera apparently comes from a long line of bullfighters and his grandfather, Antonio Ordonez, had a suit designed for the same event about 50 years ago by Pablo Picasso.

Gallery: Bullfighter Goes Armani

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Tags: armani, bullfight, bullfighting, cayetano rivera, CayetanoRivera, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, suit of lights, SuitOfLights

Giorgio Armani Pens

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Writing Instruments

Giorgio Armani is now making pens and it seems fitting in today's world of computers, internet, and email, since true luxury and designer style can often be found in something as simple as a handwritten note. The Regal Collection, released this month, is the first series of writing instruments from Armani (in collaboration with Tibaldi) and will be available in ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen styles. Each pen is limited to 199 pieces and features the initials "GA" on the cap and a rhodium-and-ruthenium-plated solid 18-karat gold nib. The barrels are hand-turned to create individual and unique rippled patterns on each pen, which are then covered by nine layers of translucent enamel and embellished with a choice of either natural or ruthenium plated sterling silver trim. $3,114

Giorgio Armani Pens are available now at Giorgio Armani boutiques and Tibaldi stores worldwide.

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Tags: armani, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, pen, pens, tibaldi, writing instrument, writing instruments, WritingInstrument, WritingInstruments

Dolce & Gabbana Tailors Italian Nat'l Soccer Team

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Sports, Men's Style

To celebrate the 2008 European Cup soccer tournament, dashing designers Dolce & Gabbana have created a stylish new wardrobe for the Italian National Football Team ("Nazionale"). Italy debuted today in the fiercely-competitive 16-nation tournament at the Stade de Suisse in Berne, Switzerland. Dolce & Gabbana custom-tailored natty narrow-lapeled one-button dark blue suits with the Nazionale badge embroidered on the breast pocket, classic white shirts and solid narrow blue silk ties for the team. Filling out their off-pitch wardrobe are blue single-breasted peak-lapel blazers, matching four-button vests, blue cotton and wool hooded track suit tops, blue cotton track suit bottoms with satin belts and sides, and black nylon padded parkas with multiple pockets and detachable hoods. The collaboration is the latest in a line of recent designer makeovers for famed European football (soccer) teams, including Giorgio Armani for the Chelsea F.C. and Paul Smith for Manchester United. See the gallery for more.

Gallery: Designer Football

A Manchester United blazer from the '50s.

Tags: Dolce Gabbana, DolceGabbana, European Cup, EuropeanCup, Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Italy, Manchester United, ManchesterUnited, Paul Smith, PaulSmith, Soccer

Polo Mansion Designer's Incredible Interiors

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Books

Ralph Lauren's flagship store on Madison Avenue (pictured above), aka the Polo Mansion, is probably the most luxurious retail outlet in the world. Not surprisingly, it made Naomi Leff, the interior decorator who created it out of a gutted shell, into a household word in design circles. The Monacelli Press presents a long-overdue compendium of her work in the alluring new book Naomi Leff: Interior Design. "To me it's the most beautiful store in the world," Lauren said upon the Mansion's completion in 1987, "the details, the world it creates, the textures. It's a store that has an emotional impact. I've watched so many people come into it and be dazzled when they enter." Leff went on to design several more stores for Lauren and stunning spaces for Giorgio Armani and private clients as well. See more of her work in the gallery.

Gallery: Naomi Leff Interior Design

Tags: Giorgio Armani, GiorgioArmani, Interior design, InteriorDesign, Madison Avenue, MadisonAvenue, Monacelli Press, MonacelliPress, Naomi Leff, NaomiLeff, Polo Mansion, PoloMansion, Ralph Lauren, RalphLauren

The Samsung and Armani HDTV

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Gadgets

Armani and Samsung have collaborated again, this time on a premium HDTV design. Revealed for the first time at the opening of the Milan International Furniture Fair. Combining cutting edge technology from Samsung with cutting edge design from Giorgio Armani, this is one sleek 1080p LCD television. Available in 46" and 52" sizes the tv itself is pretty basic looking (although I'm sure it has a more than "basic looking" picture) but the remote control sounds like it puts on quite the light show with "a full range of radiant backlights." Plus there's a smaller pebble-shaped remote for basic functions. Look for the smaller tv model to launch first (in Europe) this summer, with the 52" quickly following.

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Tags: armani, gadget, gadgets, giorgio armani, GiorgioArmani, hdtv, lcd, samsung, television, tv