On late fashion mogul Giorgio Armani’s enduring legacy

Styling The Silver Screen

Armani is also known for his beautiful red carpet gowns and tailored pieces for women. “If we look at red carpets, Julia Roberts wearing an Armani suit is an iconic look, along with a beautiful skirt that Diane Keaton wore. More recently, I really loved a feather and sequins gown that Lupita Nyong’o wore to the Oscars,” says fashion designer Michelle Salins. She adds, “With the minimal dressing and relaxed, elegant power suits, everything about his clothing was so connected with structure and power. Once you wear it, it will immediately elevate your confidence.”

Armani has also been the mastermind behind several looks in films that landed actors on the red carpet. Richard Gere’s tan trench coat in American Gigolo remains one of the most iconic fashion moments in cinema, a look that continues to be remembered. Armani’s suits with sharp tailoring and clean lines have graced numerous cult films such as The Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas, Inglourious Basterds and The Dark Knight. His frequent collaborations with Martin Scorsese further cemented his role in shaping the visual language of Hollywood style.

“Apart from inventing red carpet dressing, a common practice today across the world, he had styled for over 100 eternal Hollywood films that didn’t just etch the world of cinema, but fashion too,” notes Sounak Sen Barat, the founder of the bespoke fashion brand House of Three, picking looks from Casino as his favourites. “If I had to choose one, that would be his work on the costumes of every character in Scorsese’s Casino. That left a profound impact on both the worlds of cinema and fashion. That’s what makes history,” he says, adding, “Armani taught the world how to dress. He is the Bible you refer to in tough times. His career, contributions, persona, quiet enigma, all exude certain emotions – stability, security, reliability, longevity, strength and elegance seamlessly intertwined.”