He has revolutionized the world of fashion, he actually changed the general approach to fashion and has become one of the ambassadors of Italian style in the world. Giorgio Armani [2], or King Giorgio, as the Italian press has come to call him, is a fashion divinity and only a few names in fashion conjure so distinctive a look of elegant simplicity.

But there's more to Armani than fashion and creativity:he is an active entrepreneur always looking at the future but connected to tradition who has no problem criticizing those who suffocate creativity and good taste (oftentimes these people are his colleagues). Rizzoli [3] has just published a new book on the designer from Piacenza [4] by the title “I cretini non sono mai eleganti: Giorgio Armani in parole sue [5] (Idiots are never elegant: Armani in his own words).” The volume, edited by Paola Pollo [6], was released to celebrate Armani's 80th birthday, which occurred on July 11th (the book was released two days prior, on the 9th).

In this book Paola Pollo, a journalist at Milan's Corriere della Sera and a renown fashion expert, captures Armani the man first, then the designer and the businessman through his thoughts, statements and lines that marked his long and inimitable career. “For about a year I dove into the maison's archives, with Armani's permission to do so, and went through interviews, public speeches and lectures looking for quotes and anecdotes in order to relate his story and thoughts through his own words, just like the volume's subtitle says.”

Upon completion of her long archival work, Paola Pollo was astonished by the fact that “The Armani we see today is totally consistent with the Armani who started in this business forty years ago, the same man who had specific ideas on fashion and on what he did not like. I thought that his strong and critical statements could have been a consequence of his success, with success people think they can say whatever they want, but he has always been that way... he's always been focused on his work and he dislikes those who don't do it well. It's no coincidence that back in 1977 he used to say 'I hate who sells smoke and cheats, who has nothing true to offer and pretends to be full of creativity.'” He still does.

Paola Pollo, who has known Armani for years and has seen numerous of his fashion shows, has discovered a few new things; “It's incredible to see that he knows how to do everything himself. He does not come from a family of dressmakers, indeed his father was an office clerk and he had no interest in fashion. But from the very beginning, Giorgio has taught himself to do pretty much everything.”

Another great discovery: the effect of Sergio Galeotti's death on the designer's life and the consequent solitude. Back in 2010, Armani himself admitted that the partner's death was the most difficult battle of his life. “Up to 1989, Armani talked about style with lightness,” Pollo recounts, “But after Galeotti's death his words are impregnated with great suffering. In addition he is more focused on the economic side of the business, something he did not care about before as Galeotti was taking care of it. Before his death he was more relaxed and at ease, but things changed. He became more lonesome, melancholic and nostalgic.” To prove that, Pollo tells readers how Armani prefers to go home to his cats rather than attend parties. “Sure he has numerous homes and a lovely life but he is more at ease in his own private world.” Last but not least already back in 1980, Armani could not stand clothes anymore, that's why he has been wearing pants and a navy tee since then.