When asked whether he would dress the incoming First Lady, Melania Trump, back in 2017, Giorgio Armani’s response was succinct.

‘Why shouldn’t I dress a beautiful woman?’ he told Women’s Wear Daily. ‘This goes beyond politics.’

By ‘this,’ of course, Armani meant fashion.

Armani’s passing at the age of 91 signifies not only the loss of an iconic designer but also the departure of one of the last of his kind to resist the encroachment of politics in the realm of haute couture, and openly support Melania.

Although regarding her husband, Armani might have unintentionally criticized with subtle compliments, pointing out that Donald Trump, who was the incumbent president at the time, had ‘improved physically,’ as he remarked: ‘He is slimmer, his tuft of hair is less voluminous, and it’s less like corn silk.’

Indeed, Melania has rarely opted for Armani, yet the renowned designer’s perspective highlighted the global appeal of the fashion empire he built over a career spanning five decades.

During this period, Armani became synonymous with exquisite tailoring for both genders. In the 1980s, his suits became essential in Wall Street’s corner offices, Madison Avenue’s boardrooms, and even the corridors of power in Washington, DC. 

Simultaneously, the polished Italian designer, with nearly cinematic good looks, revolutionized the Hollywood red carpet by skillfully combining his masterful tailoring with understated elegance. 

Seen in January, Giorgio Armani’s passing at the age of 91 signifies not only the departure of a legendary designer but perhaps the end of an era where such figures would avoid the intrusion of politics into the luxury fashion world.

When asked whether he would dress First Lady, Melania Trump, Giorgio Armani’s response was succinct. ‘Why shouldn’t I dress a beautiful woman? This goes beyond politics

In a career spanning fifty years, Armani became the byword for sleek tailoring for both women and men

He was one of the first designers to give his clothes free of charge to public figures – pioneering the practice of celebrity dressing which has now become a fundamental part of the fashion world.

His decision to offer his services to director Paul Schrader for the 1980 film, American Gigolo, not only inspired a touchstone for well-dressed men everywhere, but offered a foretaste for what Hollywood and European high fashion could do when working in tandem.

Indeed, his history of red-carpet dressing offers not just a window into the evolution of the Armani brand, but one into half a century of celebrity dressing.  

In 1978 Diane Keaton stunned the audience of the 50th Academy Awards by donning a tailored double breasted Armani jacket to accept her Best Actress Oscar for her androgynously styled lead role in Annie Hall. Armani was a fledgling designer, all but unknown in Hollywood, and the bold look offered a foretaste of his revolutionary approach to both female workwear and red-carpet dressing.  

In 1978 Diane Keaton stunned the audience of the 50th Academy Awards by donning a tailored double breasted Armani jacket to accept her Best Actress Oscar for her role in Annie Hall

Julia Roberts was a relative ingenue when she accepted her Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for her breakout role in Steel Magnolias in 1990. She chose to do so in a silver grey, loosely fitted Armani suit, thus securing herself a place in fashion history. Roberts chose the look, both subtle and sexy, after a visit to the fabled designer’s Rodeo Drive boutique. In an instant Armani became the defacto designer for the modern female power suit.

Julia Roberts accepted her Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe for Steel Magnolias in 1990. She chose to do so in a silver grey, loosely fitted Armani suit, thus securing herself a place in fashion history

Armani continued to build his brand by merging his design business with the glitz of old Hollywood glamour. Just two years later he transformed Jodi Foster’s somewhat frumpy image by selecting a shimmering cream pantsuit from his Spring/Summer 1992 collection for that year’s Oscars ceremony. The streamlined silhouette offered the crowning touch to the actress as she picked up her second, Best Actress Oscar for her lead role in Silence of the Lambs. 

Armani transformed Jodi Foster’s somewhat frumpy image by selecting a shimmering cream pantsuit from his Spring/Summer 1992 collection for that year’s Oscars ceremony

Hollywood golden child Gwyneth Paltrow opted for a sheer Cher-like Armani gown of sparkly embroidery for the premiere of Shakespeare in Love – a movie that would garner the actress an Oscar. The look showcased not only Armani’s love of a sleek silhouette but the evolution of his designs from chic androgyny to full-scale red-carpet glamour. 

Hollywood golden child Gwyneth Paltrow opted for a sheer Cher-like Armani gown of sparkly embroidery for the premiere of Shakespeare in Love

When Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise married in Rome in 2006, they turned to Armani, by then widely acknowledged as the master of Italian couture. Holmes’s off-the-shoulder gown, with an ivory silk train adorned in Valenciennes lace and Swarovski beaded crystal embroidery, grabbed as many headlines as her husband-to-be’s couch-jumping antics. Also outfitting the groom and their 7-month-old-daughter Suri, Armani proved he possessed a skill set that encompassed not only the core strengths of his international brand, but the bespoke glamor that has since become a hallmark of the modern celebrity wedding. 

Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise turned to Armani when they married in Rome in 2006

Armani’s reputation as the go-to designer for power dressing made him a natural choice for female politicians. Hilary Clinton frequently turned to the Italian’s structured but understated pantsuits. Though far from the first female politician to favor designer duds, Clinton came under scrutiny when she appeared in June 2016 in an Armani jacket costing upwards of $12,000 for a speech on American income inequality. The moment underscored the fraught relationship between women politicians and their clothes – where dressing is yet another field in which criticism (and praise) can translate into electoral success. 

Hillary Clinton came under scrutiny when she appeared in June 2016 in an Armani jacket costing upwards of $12,000 for a speech on American income inequality

Demi Moore pictured on the red-carpet of the 2025 Oscars, dressed in custom Armani 

It may not have been her night – she lost out to newcomer Mikey Madison in the category of Best Actress – but, dressed in a custom Giorgio Armani gown featuring crystal embroidery, a plunging neckline and a pleated bustle that transitioned into a dramatic train, Demi Moore looked every inch the Hollywood diva at this year’s Oscar ceremony. Light years away from Diane Keaton’s appearance forty-seven years earlier, Moore’s look was testament to Armani’s ability to evolve his aesthetic to fit the needs of the moment whilst remaining true to his roots in Italian couture.