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From a Beetle to a Billion-Dollar Empire: Celebrating Armani’s Legacy

Giorgio Armani, one of the greatest names in modern fashion, died at the age of 91 on 4 September of this year.

Armani, the brand, will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year, a rare hallmark in the fashion world, especially given he remained the sole shareholder until his death.

In 1957 after he completed his military service, Armani abandoned the idea of becoming a doctor and instead moved to Milan, where he took a job as a merchandiser and window dresser at the department store La Rinascente.

Discovering he had a flair for fashion, after a period, he went to work as a designer for high-end stylist Nino Cerruti.

After years of designing for Cerruti and freelancing for other companies, he decided to set up his own fashion house, Giorgio Armani, in 1975 with funds raised from the sale of his Volkswagen Beetle.

American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere, exclusively featured Giorgio Armani designed outfits and became the turning point in the designer’s career. This movie ushered in a new era of dressing, an effortless Italian style.

His further collaborations with Hollywood include The Untouchables, “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “Goodfellas” along with countless red-carpet moments.

Armani understood that fashion was storytelling—his garments didn’t just clothe characters, they defined them.

Unlike many designers of his era, Giorgio Armani was not only an artist but also a savvy businessman. He built one of the most diversified luxury empires in the world. His brand expanded beyond haute couture and ready-to-wear into accessories, fragrances, home décor, hotels, and even restaurants.

Armani was also one of the first designers to recognize the importance of emerging markets, establishing flagship stores in Asia and the Middle East before many of his competitors. This foresight ensured his label’s enduring relevance in a rapidly changing global economy.

Armani has produced some of the most iconic fragrances, classics that have defined the genre. I’m glad to say we stock all the best ones.

0010 Armani Code for her, one of the scents that brought pretty citrus scents to the fore.

1001 Armani Si, popularised the floral gourmand combining pretty florals with the sweetness of vanilla and caramel.

3020 Armani Diamonds what a gorgeous fruity floral  

3053 Armani Prive Rose D’Arabie one of the best examples of oud and rose

5000 Acqua Di Gio is the feels like summer beach holiday aromatic scents.

4005 Armani Code one of the defining masculine fragrances

To see all the Armani scents we carry just type “Armani” into the search bar.

Don’t forget the more you buy, the more you save!

Buy 3 x 50ml fragrances for just R675 and save R75!

Buy 5 x 50ml fragrances for just R1000 and save R250!

Until next time

Rob

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