Armani, the public face of Italian luxury and style, has a private sendoff

Milan – Giorgio Armani was the king of Italian fashion, a designer loved by Hollywood Stars. And yet, his last place of rest was far from all glitter and glamor – in his family tomb in the provincial city where he was born. His funeral on Monday was a small ceremony in the presence of his family and closest friends.

For those who knew him, the end of Armani’s life illustrated the figure he was, deprived and faithful to his roots and his humble beginnings.

“He had a very difficult start,” said his biographer, Renata Molho, outside the Armani funeral chamber. “He transformed all this into a kind of humanity – to look at people who try to understand them.”

Born in Piacenza, in northern Italy, in 1934, Giorgio Armani lived during the Second World War, the Nazi occupation of Italy and the post-war years when a large part of the country was in rubble.

“His father was in prison for political reasons,” said Molho, referring to the work of Ugo Armani as a clerk for the local fascist party. Although it was not poor, the family was not rich, and after the release of Ugo in prison, they moved to Milan.

“He had a big horrible accident playing with a bomb when he was a child. And his brother, Sergio, died when he was young,” added Molho.

Armani became close to the girls of Sergio, Silvana and Roberta, and brought his nieces to his business.

“He was warm, prudent. When he spoke to you – even for a short time – he was with you. When he asked “How are you?” He listened to the answer, ”said Molho.

The name Armani, a word for glamor and luxury, for the rich and the powerful, always resonates with ordinary people in this part of Italy.

Local officials estimate that 16,000 people have aligned themselves during the weekend to pay tribute. According to the designer’s instructions, his coffin was placed in the Armani theater in Milan – the scene of his parades.

Many of those who have laid out for hours seemed to have a personal link with Armani, having been used by his empire, which, over the years, has gone from fashion to makeup and perfume, hotels and restaurants.

Some were crying openly while waiting. The murmurs of the inhabitants of the line expressed when they entered the dark auditorium, lit only by 300 candles on the floor and the photo of Armani projected on the wall. The music of Italian composer Luigi Einaudi played in the background.

Most walked and hit the closed coffin. An authentic man. During all this time, Armani’s long -standing partner, Leo Dell’orco, and his family sat or wanted to wipe tears, speak and welcome those they knew.

A number of people have approached to kiss family members nearby.

“He was a second father. He was a second family,” said Fabio Mancini, the Italian model who for 20 years was one of the most recognizable faces and bodies of the Armani brand.

Armani hired Mancini while the future model was only 18 years old after having seen it on foot with a photo shoot near the Armani shop in the center of Milan.

“It has changed life,” said Mancini.

He recalled how nervous he was before his first track and how Armani took him under his wing.

“I was behind the scenes, I was looking around and my question was” What am I doing here? ” “, He said.

Mancini said that Armani looked at him and smiled a little by saying: “” Remember, now you represent Italy. “”

He said that, by his example, Armani helped shape the person he has become.

“Twenty years later, in my last fashion show, he did the same,” added Mancini. “He looked at me, smiling, and he said to me,” Do you remember the first time? ” Now you are a man. »»

Armani leaves a legacy that goes beyond the circle of those who knew him or worked for him.

In the late 1970s and 80s, he revolutionized fashion by giving men more comfortable jackets and women the combination of power.

“He had a very good instinct for social change,” said Molho. “He understood that women were making very important careers, and they had to be feminine, but have authority.”

Armani launched his business with a small investment in 1975 and was able to transform it into a company of several billion dollars. Today, it is one of the few big fashion houses that still belong.

The designer planned a big party at the end of September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his brand. He examined and approved the collection to be presented at this party a few days before his death Thursday at 91.

Its will should be not sealed after its funeral and will probably keep the answer as to what will happen to the Armani brand.

But Molho said that Armani’s death is a turning point for the fashion world: “Fashion will miss a room. It’s like a big puzzle, and we will miss most, the biggest room.”