E N IG S E D Y IT R B E CEL
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A DESIGN FOR LIFE Celebrating the style and the substance by Violet Wilder of Giorgio Armani.
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or most designers, their time in the spotlight is fleeting. There’s a spell where the echoes of something effervescent grow loud and strong, but more often than not these style stimulators sink back into a lower division of fashion finesse, always trying thereafter to perfect that look, or cut, or fold.
that, seemingly, they can do no wrong. For every Versace there is a Westwood; for every Lagerfeld there is a McQueen. And while the eccentric demands of the fashion world see so many true image shapers depart all too soon, others hold off, almost in perpetuity in order to see what comes next.
But t every now and again, there is a mainstay; a visionary so ubiquitous, long-lasting and revered
Giorgio Armani is one such heavyweight. Now 85, Italy’s most successful fashion designer may be
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one to paint longevity and prosperity (his empire is worth in excess of £7billion), but more than that, his is a story of small beginnings, genuine innovation and unparalleled ambition. “For me it has always been an addiction,” he begins. “I have always viewed fashion as a necessity, not just a pleasure.” “To crystallise how I feel about what I do, it is my aim to always achieve that unique feeling when you