The Bite Magazine - Spring 2016 - Issue 15

When I was young, movies were my real education.” He reveals the strong relationship with his sister Rosanna who was a model, a one-time actress and eventually creative director for his brand. Accompanying him to a meeting with Yves Saint Laurent at the design- er’s home in Marrakech, Rosanna was the one who broke the ice. “When we said good-bye it was as if we had always known each other. He handed my sister his dog so that he could embrace me. He probably didn’t know then that my future style would be, drawn, in part, from his wonderful designs.” He also explains the reason why he always seems to look “so unhappy” resulting from the war that affected him more than he had imagined.We get an insight in his inter- est in medicine, life in the military and his first taste of fashion working in high- end department store La Rinascente. It was when he worked with Nino Cerruti that Armani began to revolutionise men’s suits which were regarded as rigid and uncomfortable. He would soon meet Sergio Galeotti who would go on to be his partner both in business and personal life. “Sergio became a part of my world and, at the same time, a part of the city of Milan that was changing.” Describing life with his partner of nearly twenty years, Gale- otti was the complete opposite of the more serious and aloof designer and would often play practical jokes on Armani.When Galeotti died in 1985 from complications with AIDS, the designer was under intense pressure: “Most people thought I wouldn’t be able to make it, all except the people closest to me… Many believed I would collapse psychologically and that the future of the Giorgio Armani company was uncer- tain”, but Armani proved those sceptics wrong and continued to be the success that he is today, because he remained strong and because “it had been Sergio’s work too.” A very well-written and intriguing book, Giorgio Armani gives the usually private fashion designer an opportunity to reveal aspects of himself like never before.Amidst a series of images of his family and gorgeous people, you’ll learn what makes Armani tick; his reserved character and the reason behind it; his refusal to always pat himself on the back for his successes; the constant challenges that drives him; his thoughts on certain aspects such as himself, communicating, rev- olutionising, creating fashion, loving sports, drawing and living; his appreciation of those who have helped him throughout his success over the years and his extreme love for his family, adding:“There are a very few people who have really meant something to me, but when I believe in a relationship, I give it my all, no holds barred.” Giorgio Armani is published by Rizzoli New York and available to purchase on their website. www.rizzoliusa.com Images courtesy of Rizzoli New York bitebookreview