Milan, late Seventies. The kingdom of fashion crowns its king: King Giorgio, as he will be nicknamed abroad. With Giorgio Armani, Milan quickly becomes the world capital of fashion, and Made in Italy is no longer just a label: it is now synonymous with elegance, refinement and class. How did this iconic fashion brand come about? And where did the idea of that eagle come from? Keep reading to find out.

King Giorgio and the birth of an empire

Giorgio Armani was born in 1934 in Piacenza, in northern Italy. After dropping out of medical school in Milan, he began working with architects for the luxurious Milanese department store Rinascente to renew its image. It was on the glossy floors of Rinascente that the future designer refined his creative skills and his aesthetic taste, and the direction for his future career began to become clearer. Shortly after, in 1964, he made his first steps in clothing design, thanks to a collaboration with Cerruti for Hitman, a brand that produced men’s clothing. This first experience in the world of fashion, which lasted until 1970, was his most important training. So much so that only five years later, in 1975, the Giorgio Armani brand was born, an independent brand that produced men’s clothing and, from 1976, also women’s clothing. The rest is history: from the Armani jacket worn by Diane Keaton to collect her Oscar in 1978 to the suits made for Richard Gere in the 1980 film American Gigolò. His admirers are many, including Madonna, Lady Gaga, Laura Pausini, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Leonardo Di Caprio, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Renée Zellweger. It is impossible to list them all.

Now we come to the idea of Emporio Armani. It’s the Eighties, and Giorgio Armani wants to expand his appeal to young people and all pockets. And so a new more accessible clothing line is born. The key to this new offer is denim. Taken for granted today, but less so then: no designer had ever included a pair of jeans in his collection. It was a revolutionary move at the time, ridiculed by the more conservative of the industry. But it was greeted with enormous enthusiasm by his many future customers: Emporio Armani offered simple, elegant and easy-to-wear garments at reasonable prices. Why the name “Emporio”? And what’s behind that eagle on the logo? We’re about to find out.

The Emporio empire: origin of the name and logo

Let’s start with the name of the brand. It was Giorgio Armani himself who wanted the word “emporio” in the name of his new line, as he explains in an interview published on Vogue in 2018.

I liked the idea of a place where you could find everything and at a fair price. That idea still holds today: for me Emporio is a collection of garments, accessories and ideas aimed at a wide, cosmopolitan and urban audience.

And now let’s move on to the logo.

It is an eagle with its body divided into horizontal stripes and with the initials of the designer. The font chosen is Didot LT, a very elegant serif. But why an eagle? It is said that the symbol is a tribute to his main commercial partner: the United States. However, the eagle looks in the opposite direction to west, so it’s just another nice story. The real meaning is rather classic and it is nobility. And this is reflected in the company’s production.

Final considerations

In conclusion, we can say that Emporio Armani is a clothing line that has been able to interpret the needs and tastes of a young and dynamic clientele, offering quality garments with elegance and style at affordable prices. Emporio Armani has also been able to innovate and experiment, introducing denim into luxury fashion and creating a distinctive and recognizable logo. Choosing a garment signed by Emporio Armani means wearing a piece of history of Italian fashion, a symbol of class and excellence.