The Tamesis
SA: Yes – it has to be protected, but it also has to be reinvented. You can reinvent it by shaping it, adjusting form, or color. You’ll look at proportions, different shoulders, maybe a bigger double-breasted jacket. Now all the girls are wearing oversized men’s jackets. These are things you must observe on the street, even though by the time a trend reaches the street, it is usually already out of style.
What would Mr. Armani think of what you’re doing?
SA: He’d probably put his hands in his hair!
Can you still feel Him talking to you while you’re working? Because he certainly won’t stay silent.
LDO: No, of course he’s not going to stay silent. That said, our archives are intact. Giorgio never reuses something he did 10 years ago, and he never wants to go backwards. But I think it’s something we can do. I see a lot of people imitating us, so we can do it too!
We have a remarkable archive that he never really mined to recreate past works. There is a wealth of material to work with, 50 years of archives. He would often say, “No, no, not from the archives, it makes everything look old,” and so on, and we would reply, “But what does it matter? New designers are looking at you, and they’re remaking your jackets, your tailoring, and you don’t want to look at your own archives?”
You have no idea how many times we argued about this. He’d be like, “No! What am I going to do, wear a jacket with a skirt again?” In his own way, he was willing to look at things differently, but when it came to his past, he never wanted to revisit it. Nonetheless, in recent years, Armani has dominated the world of men’s tailoring.
Outside of work, what are some of your personal passions that may or may not translate into your professional work?
SA: I’m interested in art, design and women’s literature. I believe that we women bring a pretty special lens to the world. The architectural style of Odile Decq comes to mind. I love photography books, even the crude ones: Nan Goldin fascinates me. I’m inspired by Fleur Jaeggy’s writing, which is so simple and vibrant, and by her elegance as a former model. I’m always struck by people’s grace and certain eloquent gestures. Of course, there are movies, classics, and TV series: I’m obsessed with it lately love story About Caroline Bassett and John F. Kennedy, Jr. I have a deep love for nature. I have a house in the country where I rest at weekends and I love dogs. I have three dogs and have established a very large dog shelter near Pavia. I have dogs and horses that have been rescued from distress and it is truly my passion. In the past, whenever I had half a day to spare (I’m afraid I don’t anymore), I would just go to the shelter. When I told my uncle about this, he complained, “Well, now you’ll be with your dog forever!” This is truly my passion. I really want to do interior design.
