«King Giorgio»: Why Armani’s Legacy Must Be Preserved
Italian journalist Gabriele La Monica knew Giorgio Armani well. In an exclusive interview with finews.asia, he reflects on his encounters with the true «King of Milan», why Armani’s legacy must be safeguarded at all costs, and the importance of remembering the respect he showed for the models who walked for him.
Gabriele La Monica, as a long-time financial journalist you met Giorgio Armani regularly. What were those encounters like?
For a business journalist, meeting Giorgio Armani was always a rather frustrating experience. The news of a possible IPO or even the sale of his company to third parties was something like the Holy Grail of financial journalism.
Why?
Such a scoop would have meant at least a promotion or even eternal fame. And so, every time I met him, I tried to land that scoop – and Giorgio always denied any possible retreat from his beloved «creation». Put that way, it almost sounds like a kind of «journalistic stalking».
«He embodied both the creativity of the fashion world and the typical Milanese restraint»
But «Re Giorgio» (in English: «King Giorgio») knew exactly how relevant such news would have been, and each time, with endless patience and politeness, but also with great firmness, he dashed the dreams of the reporter in front of him.
What was Armani like as a person?
The media world – and not only that – called him «Re Giorgio» because he was considered the true king of Milan. He embodied both the creativity of the fashion world and the typical Milanese reserve, which often bordered on understatement.
«Speaking with Armani was not easy»
Like every great Milanese, Armani was not born in Milan but in Piacenza – confirming the myth that Milan is a melting pot that grows and thrives thanks to the constant influx of «foreign blood».
What else interested Armani?
Speaking with Armani was not easy – if only because his social appearances were always quite limited.
An exception were the games of the local basketball team Olimpia Milano, whose matches he regularly attended after acquiring the team, whenever he could. He also much preferred to talk about basketball – and did so with great expertise and attention.
How did Armani tick?
One of the most amusing anecdotes concerns Dan Peterson, the legendary coach of Olimpia Milano, who returned to the Milan bench for a few months during the Armani era. From the perspective of elegance, the coach was the nemesis of Pat Riley, the famous coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, known for wearing only Armani suits.
No sooner had «Re Giorgio» spotted Peterson on the bench in his oversized, worn-out jacket than he ordered his people to rush him to the tailor to be properly dressed.
At the beginning, you spoke about the frustration of meeting Armani. In the end, though, these encounters must have left positive memories.
Of course. Speaking with Armani was, despite everything, a very pleasant experience. As is often the case with truly great personalities – for me personally this only happened with the «Avvocato» Gianni Agnelli and before that with Enrico Cuccia – Giorgio Armani never gave the impression of speaking with you condescendingly or out of obligation.
He did not keep walking while talking, as if he had something more important to do. He stopped and gave you his full attention, with courtesy and sensitivity, even if you were not sufficiently prepared on certain topics.
What remains of Armani?
The mortal sin that made any conversation impossible was rudeness and intrusiveness. If someone in a group of journalists misspoke or behaved rudely, you could be sure that Armani would leave immediately.
«We must remember his respect for the bodies of the models»
His sobriety is a legacy that the fashion world – too often caught up in experiments on the «edge of Hellzapoppin» – must preserve, a legacy that should be protected at all costs.
Equally, we must remember his respect for the bodies of the models who walked for him: always beautiful and slim, but never of that unhealthy thinness that many of his colleagues falsely pass off as beauty.
Gabriele La Monica (pictured above) is one of Italy’s most experienced and respected financial journalists. He heads the Milan editorial office of the Italian news agency «Milano Finanza – MF Newswires», part of the leading Italian financial media group Class Editori.
