QUIETLY ELEGANT, ETERNALLY STYLISH ARMANI A/X

'Elegance is not about being noticed, it's about being remembered.' - Giorgio Armani

- VICKY VELOSO-BARRERA

In a galaxy of fashion where supernovas brighten up the sky with their daring designs and dramatic runway shows, there are stars that shine with a steady and enduring light.

Such a designer is Giorgio Armani, whose name may not be as recognizable to Gen Z fashionistas. But for those of us in my generation, who forayed into fashion around the same time that Armani was becoming famous, he is forever our fashion superstar.

"I was the first to soften the image of men, and harden the image of women. I dressed men in women's fabrics, and stole from me what women wanted and needed – the power suit," Armani has said, and that says it best.

That masculine look, achieved through impeccable tailoring, was brought to the fore in American Gigolo, a 1980 film that made both Armani and actor Richard Gere famous.

His signature look is luxurious yet also relaxed, and his androgynous approach to women's wear is amazingly flattering. I have bought Armani shirts with closed neck, with long sleeves and padded shoulders, yet they dropped over the body in a way that was more sensuous than tight fitting, revealing dresses.