Giorgio Armani marked an era in the fashion world. “Re Giorgio” was his nickname. A “king” who was able to unite two worlds as separate as sport and trend. He bought a basketball team, Olympia Milano. He dressed Italy at the Olympic Games since 2012. To the “Azzurra” of Soccer at the 1994 World Cup and in the euro of 2021. Rafael Nadal. His last great collaborations, Naples and “Juve”.
Teacher of sobriety and elegance for 91 years, he was born in Piacenza on July 11, 1934. He created his iconic signature in 1975 and turned it into an empire with more than 350 stores worldwide, making the leap to Hollywood with Richard Gere in “American Gigolò”. Afterwards, his designs appeared in “Batman: The Knight of the Night” or in the “Wolf of Wall Street”, although he also dressed even Penelope Cruz and Nicole Kidman for his wedding.
But he didn’t stay there. He wanted to make the big leap to sport. A sector in which before luxury brands barely showed interest. A pioneer.
He had a great friendship with footballer Shevchenko and Nadal was ambassador. It also premiered with basketball. Thus, it acquired in 2008 the mythical Italian team Olimpia Milano, the most laureate in the country, known since its purchase as Emporio Armani Olimpia Milano.
And, of course, the team since then dressed with garments made by EA7, the fashion house that created in 2004 with the number “7” as tribute to Ukrainian Andrey Shevchenko, which carried that number in Milan.
The great friendship between the two resulted in the opening of two stores in kyiv and at a party in which the player met his wife, the American model Kristen Pazik.
He was not the only athlete who collaborated individually with the brand. Although none generated both link with the designer and the Ukrainian. Rafa Nadal, in 2010, became an image of the line as a model and ambassador of underwear and jeans. Cristiano Ronaldo or Beckham, too.
Also read: What will happen to the Empire of Fashion that Armani built?
Chelsea, Bayern, Naples, ‘Juve’ … some of the teams that Armani wore
He also entered football. He dressed the Italian team since 2019. And the “Azzurra” won the Eurocup in 2021. He also dressed it much earlier, 27 years ago, in the 1994 World Cup. The “Nazionale” arrived to the final, but lost to Brazil the United States World Cup.
He also dressed the Italian athletes and the entire Italian expedition that participated in the 2012 London, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
Several clubs also trusted their image to the designer, such as Naples, who saw EA7 since 2022, winner since then of two “Scudetti”. The most historical of them in 2023. The one who broke with the 33 -year -old drought. The first without Diego Armando Maradona.
The “Juve” is another clear example. The Armani Group signed a collaboration with Juventus Turin to wear the players of the first male team in all official events during the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 seasons.
The team of his native Piacenza was the first to collaborate with the famous designer, back in 2003 and for several years.
Chelsea, Newcastle and the English team, in the first years of the century, its great international commitment. The Bayern Munich, in 2014, joined the long list of a giant designer who decided to enter, much, in the world of sport when no one in his sector had even thought about it.
With EFE information
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