Bloomberg Businessweek - USA (2019-06-17)

B U S I N E S S

1

16

Edited by

James E. Ellis

and David Rocks

● CanGiorgioArmani,at84,

turnarounda legendary

companyfoundedona style

heturnedclassic?

AfewdaysafterthedeathofChaneldesigner

KarlLagerfeldinFebruary,GiorgioArmanisum-

monedgueststohispersonalmuseuminMilan

forhisfall-wintercollectionrunway show.At

theformergranarywrappedinstarkconcrete

walls,herevealedthelatestlineupofhissoftly

tailoredjackets,velvetbombers,andevening

gownstothefriendlynodsofmagazineeditors,

department-store buyers, and celebrity clients

such as Naomi Watts. At the finale, instead of his

habitual quick bow and wave, Armani took the

hand of a model and paraded the length of the cat-

walk. The crowd cheered in amazement. Perhaps a

touch of sentiment in the wake of Lagerfeld’s pass-

ing contributed to the applause. Nevertheless, it

was a thunderous exclamation that the 84-year-old

Armani—the creative director, chief executive offi-

cer, and sole owner of his namesake company—

remains a force to contend with and one of the last

creative titans of the fashion industry.

“It was actually quite an emotional moment,”

Armani, a cautious communicator who’s never

mastered English, says in a written interview.

His name is one of the world’s most recognizable

brands: a sprawling fashion and lifestyle empire DOUGLAS FRIEDMAN/TRUNK ARCHIVE

Last Man

Standing