Giorgio Armani – the visionary, the legend and the love for the territory

On Thursday, 4 September, the fashion world bowed its head in reverence to one of its most extraordinary masters: Giorgio Armani. A visionary designer, astute entrepreneur, and revolutionary tastemaker, Armani reshaped modern elegance, turning fashion into a universal language of harmony, allure, and imagination.

Few realise that Armani’s professional journey is deeply rooted in Veneto, particularly the Vicenza area. It was here, among the hills of Cornedo Vicentino, Trissino, and Valdagno, that “King Giorgio” first honed his craft. In the 1970s, he collaborated with the Fin family’s Sicons company, creating the debut collection “Armani by Sicons” the spark that ignited his now-legendary brand. By 1989, Armani assumed control of the company, reshaping it as Antinea and later as GA Operation in Trissino, where an Armani Group production facility still thrives today.

In these Venetian lands, he remains fondly remembered as “Mr Armani.” His bond with Vicenza has never waned. Even now, the Armani Group relies on a trusted local network of artisans and suppliers esteemed names like Marzotto for fabrics and Miles for knitwear relationships built on quality, integrity, and shared vision.

Luca Zaia, President of the Veneto Region, paid tribute to Armani’s enduring influence, emphasising not only the universal value of his style but also his heartfelt connection to the region. Among the defining moments of this relationship, Zaia highlighted the 1990 Venice Film Festival, which premiered Martin Scorsese’s Made in Milan, and the unforgettable “One Night Only Venezia” event in 2023—a magnificent celebration at the Arsenale where fashion, art, and music intertwined in a salute to Italian beauty. That evening, Armani also pledged his support for scientific research on the Venetian Lagoon and for the Venetian Heritage project to safeguard Ca’ d’Oro, gestures of cultural devotion befitting a man of his stature.

Giorgio Armani’s name will forever be synonymous not only with Italian fashion but with a vision that united beauty, culture, place, and responsibility. In Veneto, where his story began, the spirit of “King Giorgio” continues in the ateliers, with the people, the artisans that helped make him the icon he became .