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Giorgio’s

L R I GI

It’s not often you hear a beautiful woman calling a 70-year-old, silver-haired man her ‘soulmate’, but that’s just how actress Michelle Pfeiffer refers to Giorgio Armani, the Italian designer who, time and again, has saved her from red carpet disaster

n Hollywood terms, working the Oscars in a frock that’s anything less than 100 per cent glam is, quite simply, a crime. Period.

Like all the great A-list actresses today, Michelle Pfeiffer knows it. Having had the good sense to acknowledge early on in her career that, when left alone, her fashion sense is at best ‘wayward’, she paired up with fashion genius Giorgio Armani, and she’s avoided any serious style mistakes since.

But it could have all been so different. Back in the 80s, just before Dolce & Gabbana started dressing actress Monica Bellucci, which kick-started the trend for designers dressing stars, Michelle believed herself to be a member of the ‘I can dress myself’ brigade. Using a designer or a stylist to filter your wardrobe was an alien concept back then. ‘I didn’t know that people in

the movie industry did such things,’ she admits. ‘I remember thinking, “why would I want someone to dress me, and who is Giorgio Armani?’’.’

Thankfully Armani knew full well who she was, having seen the gorgeous actress in Scarface. Blown away by her natural beauty, elegance and ease, and what he describes as a ‘riveting presence’, Giorgio believed what he’d witnessed her wearing on the big screen was a historical fashion moment. ‘When she came down the stairs in that gold dress after the amazing elevator scene,’

Feature by Alexandra Shakespeare Portraits by Mario Testino

Clockwise from above: Another Armani/Pfeiffer red carpet hit; Armani’s new Hollywood make-up palette, Dhs325; Giorgio with his lifetime achievement award; Michelle in 128

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he remembers, ‘I fell in love with her at that particular moment.’

And so Giorgio got straight on the phone to the actress to offer his services.

It seemed to make perfect sense; Michelle’s classic-with-atwist style was in total sync with Armani’s ‘less is more’ design philosophy. And Giorgio knew that if he could tap into her wanna-bottle-it-and-buy-it style (she’s even carried off a skintight black PVC catsuit in Batman Returns without looking like a men’s magazine dream), then the Armani brand would benefit.

Not that their relationship was ever based purely on business. Today, the designer and the 47-year-old Hollywood A-lister are inseparable. Armani fondly says of Michelle: ‘Since Scarface she has been a muse, an inspiration, and a loyal and dear friend.’ She echoes the

sentiment by saying: ‘I think of him as a friend, a genius, a gentleman, a soulmate and a legendary arbiter for the ages.’

Not only that, he has ‘spared me from being on all those worst-dressed lists’.

In fact, so strong is the bond between them that the modellike mother of two (also once

Michelle’s 20-year friendship, but also celebrates Armani’s 30th anniversary working in the fashion industry.

Michelle hits easily on his formula for success, saying: ‘So much of today’s fashion is unwearable. His clothes are meant for people to wear.’ And although last season’s ready-to-

I think of Giorgio as a friend, a genius, a gentleman, a soulmate and a legendary arbiter for the ages Miss Orange County) happily agreed to appear in the latest Armani advertising campaign, shot by the renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino.

Wearing his signature women’s collection for spring/summer 2005 – the colours of which have also inspired a glamorous Hollywood make-up palette – not only seals Giorgio and

wear Emporio Armani collection saw a slight departure from his usual understated elegance to more fantasy-like silhouettes, three decades into the business he’s still creating easy-to-wear yet ever elegant outfits.

Of course, knowing the designer as well as Michelle does, and unquestioningly being his favourite Hollywood beauty,

THE ARMANI STYLE ARMY

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2001 Ashley Judd is every inch the silver screen star in organza tiers at the Oscars

2004 Julia Roberts gets it right at the Oscars in gold silk-satin with a vintage brooch 1997 Salma Hayek shines at the Oscars in beaded tank-style with low scoop neckline and back

Michelle ’s not the only star opti ng for Armani on the big nights

1996 Mira Sorvino looks Oscar-fabulous in a silver bustier and matching organza skirt

PHOTOGRAPHY GETTY IMAGES,CAPITAL PICTURES, REX AND WIREIMAGE

2005 Cate Blanchett dazzles in floor-sweeping silver sequins at the BAFTAs

2001 Charlize Theron wears a black cut-away column dress with a corsage to the Golden Globes

it seemed only fair that when Giorgio was presented with an honourable lifetime achievement award at last year’s Night Of Stars gala in New York, she was the one to present it. ‘You are an artist and you never get it wrong,’ Michelle said during her congratulatory speech to him on the night (and with recent Armani retrospective exhibitions at London’s Royal Academy of Art and New York’s Guggenheim Museum, others clearly agree).

Now Michelle never seems to get it wrong on the red carpet and she certainly never looks ‘wrong’ wearing the Italian’s designer clothes. Although on one occasion she speaks of recutting a pair of Armani trousers into bell-bottoms for the Emmys which, she openly admits, was a bad call. Fortunately, she says, Armani was ‘gracious enough to look the other way’.

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