The Architect of Timeless Elegance

As influential and era-defining as Armani’s sensual suiting was his relationship with Hollywood. The dynamic of power and sexuality that Armani’s clothes represented was immortalized onscreen in Paul Schrader’s 1980 film American Gigolo, which features a shirtless Gere shimmying in front of a closet full of Armani suits, painstakingly selecting the perfect jacket, shirt, and tie in which to get down to business. But it was offscreen that Armani set a new standard, virtually inventing the modern epoch of red-carpet dressing and the fashion-celebrity industrial complex.

In 1988, Armani opened an LA office, hiring former journalist Wanda McDaniel, whose husband was Hollywood producer Albert Ruddy, known for The Godfather, as a liaison to the stars and everyone in their professional orbit—lawyers, managers, agents, producers, and directors. According to a 1995 story in The New York Times, it was McDaniel’s job to invite celebrities to Armani fashion shows and make sure flights, hotels, and of course, clothes, were paid for.

September 5, 2025 | 3:36 am