Remembering Fashion Designer Giorgio Armani

Armani has had a presence in Hong Kong for decades

I woke up to the news this morning that Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani had passed away at the age of 91 in Milan.

When I was a teenager, I would flip through Hong Kong weekly magazines that were celebrity focussed, and had lots of advertisements and the ones that captivated me the most were those of Armani. The suits weren't boxy, but sleek, feminine, stylish and confident.

Armani Aqua restaurant in Chater House

These suits and also dresses were classic yet modern, and looked comfortable, effortless, yet elegant.

In Hong Kong his clothes were first carried by Joyce boutique and later Armani opened his own shops. He was very ambitious in 2011 when his brand took over Chater House in Central and opened the restaurant Armani Aqua and Armani Prive Bar, boutiques Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani, and a flower shop called Armani/Fiori. The facade was covered in bamboo that lit up at night.

It seemed like the Armani-focused complex was more of a massive marketing exercise than a successful business venture; at the end of 2023, Armani's lease of Chater House ended and auction house Sotheby's took over the space.

Nevertheless Armani was not deterred. Last October he crossed Victoria Harbour and setup in Tsim Sha Tsui's Canton Road with a 9,000 sq ft store spread across two floors. There's ready-to-wear clothes, shoes, accessories, high jewellery and evening wear for women. For men there's a made-to-measure service for tailored suits.

The Chater House space had bamboo motifs

And for those who want a taste of Armani, last month the designer opened Armani/Caffe in Pacific Place serving dishes like saffron risotto, spaghetti al pomodoro, and veal Milanese.

His brand will definitely live on in Hong Kong.