THE FACES OF GIORGIO ARMANI

The exquisite coherence of the King of Fashion. As probably each and everyone of you are probably aware, since the first ever fashion shows the importance of choosing the right models to present the collections is fundamental.

Even if people say that in Paris already back in the nineteenth century there were the first examples of catwalks, it’s from the beginning of this century that in New York City the shows started to be well organised, and after years, in Italy too.

There are stories of people in line for castings, hoping to be chosen to walk in the magic events. Why was that?

For the models, it’s a big achievement and a great satisfaction, but for the designer and the industry picking the right faces for the mood and the meaning of the new collection is a key to success. Besides the most important icons (like Naomi Campbell in the 90s and Gigi Hadid today) that every designer would love to have to walk for him/her, the other models change depending on the creator of the collection.

Some designers pick models tattooed or shaved, like Puglisi, some others want middle-aged people, like Billionaire of Philip Plein, some others pick the classic androgenic youth. Therefore, the casting becomes a big moment for everyone in the industry. I have fun memories of casting everywhere. In bars, in industrial buildings, in simple spaces. Once even outdoors in the hills of Silver Lake, the “rocker” neighbourhood of Los Angeles. Now the selection of the models can sometimes be done by the main organisation that hosts the whole fashion week.

But, the old style castings are the most exciting and most real. Happy or sad people after the acceptance or refusal, people crying or screaming for joy.

I’m sure there are many stories like this, but today we want to show a little collection of the faces of Giorgio Armani. His choices have always been similar during the years, for a beauty that we could define as classic and simple, with faces that appear clean and almost all of the same age, about 20.

Since the beginning, Armani always surrounded himself with this kind of beauty, which is perfect for the elegance (never baroque) of his creations. Therefore, Armani becomes the perfect example of castings that perfectly meet and fit the vibes and charms of his clothes. Also, he is an example of coherence that lasted during all his career, since his first show that took place in 1976.

Unfortunately, some designers change from “day to night” year by year, but this is not the case for King Giorgio. The mosaic on display on our pages, from the Milanese reportage, shows the lucid simplicity of the choices for his collection: faces like Oliver Houlby or Julian Weigl, that you can see in the black and white collection, are exactly “the handsome guys next door” that always characterized this designer.

Wishing that every brand will have the coherency of Armani.

Photos and article by Raimondo Rossi.

Note: Original article posted on The Style Researcher in 2016.