It’s funny to think that Giorgio Armani’s first collection as a designer, presented back in 1976, was solely menswear. Of course, the Italian-born designer is still known for his gorgeous tuxes and suits, but it is his gowns that take up a large part of his legacy—the shimmery, elegant creations that are as much of a staple at Hollywood events as the red carpet itself.
Armani revolutionized celebrity dressing. He was the first designer who approached celebrities and ask to dress them for events, hiring a former society journalist, Wanda McDaniel, in the late ’80s to help him build relationships with the stars. The plan was so successful that by 1990, so many celebrities were wearing Armani on the Oscars red carpet, Women’s Wear Daily dubbed the event, “The Armani Awards.” When the designer first had the idea, though, he wasn’t placing them in the paillette-covered gowns we now associate with his couture line, Armani Privé. Instead, he pushed more subdued looks. “The new establishment no longer saw themselves all glamour, sequinned and sparkling divas,” he told The Telegraph in 2014. “Celebrities wanted to wear clothing that enhanced them but were not costumes, and it was exactly the type of revolution I was endorsing in the fashion world.” He started with Diane Keaton, the first actress to wear Armani on the red carpet, and before long, everyone was clamoring for his designs. These days, designers dressing celebrities for awards and events is a no-brainer, but it all started with Armani. Now, we’re looking back at over four decades of celebrity dressing, from the man who started it all.
While Armani is, of course, known for the many gorgeous gowns he designed for the women of Hollywood over the years, he also created many androgynous, traditionally masculine looks for actresses to wear to events. In fact, Armani’s first-ever red carpet creation was pretty out of the…
Read the full article here
