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MAY 17, 2004
The Iconic Italian Designer Shares His Wit And Wisdom Giorgio Armani grew up in the small town of Piacenza, just outside Milan. A childhood spent playing in the war torn streets led to a near fatal accident, when an unexploded shell detonated, killing one of his friends and burning him severely. Following a month in hospital, during which time he temporarily lost his sight, the young Armani returned home with a new-found steely resolve: he was to be a survivor. After the war he studied medicine, until a visit to Milan's premiere department store, La Rinascente, with some pictures he'd taken of his younger sister modelling, led to a job as a window dresser and, later, buyer. His talent was spotted by Nino Cerruti's design studio, with which he trained for a career in fashion design. In 1974, after several years of freelance work, Armani set up his own label. In the Eighties, his new approach - which involved deconstructing garments to make them more fluid and comfortable - took the world by storm, helped in part by the success of the Armani-dressed film, American Gigolo. Since then, the house has gone from strength to strength and today turns over €1,691 million annually. Armani has diversified into fragrances and interiors, and has built a reputation for working with Hollywood and the world of sport, in particular footballers. Giorgio Armani's new photographic book, Faces of Sport, will be available in Armani stores from May. All proceeds will go to the Special Olympics charity. THE FIRST RULE OF DESIGN IS... there are no rules BEFORE I FOUND FASHION... I trained to be a doctor THE RED CARPET... can give rise to some horrific outfits ELEGANCE IS... the quality I aspire to in my work SAMUEL L JACKSON... is one of the most elegant men I know MY FAVOURITE CAR IS... the VW Beetle I sold to set up my business FOOTBALLERS ARE... the new gladiators THE FILM I COULD WATCH OVER AND OVER IS... Hitchcock's Notorious - dark, moody and deeply romantic NAVY BLUE... makes you look thinner ITALIAN SECRETARIES... look great when they fix their hair with pencils MY PERFECT HOLIDAY DESTINATION IS... anywhere in the Mediterranean MY FAVOURITE TOY IS... the boat I bought last year LUNCH IS... fresh pasta with tomatoes NEVER... look like you're trying too hard MY HOBBY IS... people watching A GOOD IDEA IS... one which comes unbidden TIME IS... a very precious thing and not to be wasted THE FASHION PRESS... can be fickle. And wrong! I'VE NEVER BELIEVED... the hype THE SECRET OF SUCCESS... is self belief, hard work and luck I STILL DON'T KNOW... how to reverse around corners Enquiries: +44 (0) 20 7808 8100  By Peter Howarth Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.  Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed. Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video. To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here. Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page  | | |
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