ARMANI and the birth of Italian Fashion
Set against the opulent backdrop of the Italian fashion capital and filmed within the exclusive, extravagant living rooms of legendary designers’ homes, Armani is an ambitious documentary that tells the story of the birth and global rise of Italian prêt-à-porter. From the pioneers Walter Albini, Rosita and Ottavio Missoni, and Krizia, to the irresistible ascent of Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, and Gianfranco Ferré; from the triumphant return of Gucci to the disruptive originality of Miuccia Prada; from the arrival of Dolce & Gabbana on the scene to the new creative direction of the family business inaugurated by Donatella Versace. What was the magic? How was it possible?
In parallel, the narrative will unfold the inescapable history of the fashion house that symbolizes Italian haute couture, Valentino as well as that of other maisons that have contributed to the astonishing global success of Italian style, from Salvatore Ferragamo to Ermenegildo Zegna, Etro, and many others.
How did a handful of extraordinary personalities give rise to what would become one of the most influential cultural movements, capable of shaping Western society between the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries? What was the atmosphere like during those intoxicating days?
What intuition led the Milanese fashion aristocracy to enlist Hollywood in order to impose its style on the world stage? And how did this revolution manage to spark such a deep and lasting attraction to the Italian lifestyle, a cultural megatrend so overwhelming that it supplanted the fascination previously exerted by French cuisine and fashion?
And further: what happened to Italian fashion after that initial explosion of creativity? What is its future? Will Made in Italy be able to survive the generational transition and the acquisition of brands by new owners? What challenges are posed by fast-fashion giants such as H&M and Zara, which are increasingly popularizing fashion while exposing it to the whims of the mass market? Can the trend toward green luxury, and more generally toward greater sustainability, represent a solution? What are the implications of the growing weight of Asian markets, and the Chinese market in particular? And what will change in the post-Covid era?
The documentary’s starting point is the story of the birth of Italian prêt-à-porter, and its narrative unfolds through the authoritative and vivid voices of Italian fashion superstars, from both the creative and business sides, as well as magazine editors, Hollywood actors, top models, iconic photographers, and American and European critics. Participants in the project include Sharon Stone, Helen Mirren, Lauren Hutton, Samuel L. Jackson, Frances McDormand, Tom Ford, and Marpessa Hennink. All of these figures are intimately connected to the narrative arc, which develops by following a chronology built along the trajectory of the history of Italian fashion.