Giorgio Armani’s legacy is inextricably tied to the transformation of men’s fashion. But the fashion titan, who died aged 91 on Thursday (4 September), also had a brief stint in a UK newsroom.
On 21 September 2006, readers of The Independent were greeted with a special edition of the paper, guest-edited and designed by the Italian designer as part of Product Red – an initiative to raise funds for the HIV and Aids epidemic in Africa.
The RED edition featured celebrity contributions from Hollywood royalty George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates and Grammy-winner Beyoncé.
The paper came with a 36-page magazine supplement, termed Extra, with a poster of Kate Moss tucked into its centre. It also included an interview with the legendary designer titled: “Giorgio Armani: The show must go on”.
In line with Armani’s iconic aesthetic, the layout showcased a minimalist design with clean lines and elegant typographic choices.
In an opinion piece, headlined: “I fear for a world where the innocence of childhood is eroded by war and poverty”, Armani acknowledged he is “no expert on world affairs”.
“I write this, therefore, as an ordinary man,” he said. “And like many ordinary men, I observe the world around me and some of what I see saddens me. In particular, I see a place where the innocence of childhood is being eroded by hardship and sickness, by fear and danger and poverty.”
Expressing gratitude for his “comfortable life” he looked back on his upbringing in war-torn Italy. He recalled an instance of playing among an unexploded shell, which then detonated and ended up “killing my friend, and burning me from head to toe.” The experience affected the young Armani profoundly, inspiring his philanthropic work.
Half of the proceeds from the issue went directly to the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Spearheaded by Bono and Bobby Shriver, Armani had already designed merchandise for the RED campaign and his work with the Indy was considered an extension of that fruitful partnership.
The issue’s cover image of a naked Kate Moss in blackface prompted backlash for being racially insensitive. The controversial visual statement was intended as a provocative appeal to raise awareness but was swiftly condemned.
The controversy appeared to drown out the good intentions of the fundraiser and became the defining touchpoint of the campaign.
In addition to Armani’s unique collaboration with The Independent, his philanthropic work extended to disaster relief projects, initiatives to preserve arts and culture, cancer relief and clean water access.
Prolific in his work and charity, Armani expressed his one regret in the run-up to his death, saying: “I don’t know if I’d use the word workaholic, but hard work is certainly essential to success. My only regret in life was spending too many hours working and not enough time with friends and family.”
In a statement confirming his death on Thursday, his company said he had forged a “vision that expanded from fashion to every aspect of life, anticipating the times with extraordinary clarity and pragmatism”.
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