Giorgio Armani Not Ready To Retire

With Valentino retired and Yves Saint Laurent passing away, there are unfortunately only a handful of the grand designers left today. Giorgio Armani who is a favorite of mine, recently spoke to Italian magazine Il Sole 24 Ore about the idea of retirement.

“It is painful but you need to have the courage that, once it is done, not to have any claims over it,” Armani says. “In the case of reaching a certain age or the market needing a radical change in style, it is extremely difficult for someone who created a company to detach themselves from it.”

Giorgio adds, “The founder is linked to the brand and represents its style. When it comes to replacing the founder there is always a doubt as to whether to change the style. The young designers have all the talent that is needed but in a system made up of only ‘untouchable icons’ that cut off all oxygen, you can also die.”

But don’t worry! The talented designer is not on his way to retirement! “I have never posed myself the problem, looking at the pros and cons… I have not picked my ‘heir’. Touch wood, we’re not talking about it but an organisation that is so precise could easily survive me. I can easily manage this as I have always firmly kept the style, management and ownership in my hands.”

Armani’s Spring/Summer 2009 collections were spectacular and we sure hope that our favorite designer will continue to beautify the fashion runways and inspire our lives with his delicate pieces.