Like many other desirable luxury brands (such as Rolex and Ralph Lauren), most Giorgio Armani products (especially clothes) are heavily faked by various replica makers trying to make a quick buck.
The purpose of this guide is to show you quick and easy things how to recognize fake Giorgio Armani clothes.
This article was originally published on February 11th, 2023. This new, updated version contains more information, is better organized and has a better SEO.
Read: The ULTIMATE Giorgio Armani Line Guide on the Internet
#1 – Introduction
Before we begin, I’d like to mention that … :
(1) … I’ve own(ed) and sold a multitude of Giorgio Armani products (suits and jackets) on eBay over the years – some of them being worth more than a thousand Euros. Hence, I believe that I know a thing or two about Giorgio Armani.
(2) … this guide will ONLY show you how to identify fake Giorgio Armani clothing – watches, jewelry and perfumes aren’t covered.
(3) … this guide won’t cover clothing coming from the Armani Jeans and Exchange brand lines since I have never bought them.
(4) … I’m not affiliated with the Giorgio Armani group in any way.
With that being said, let’s continue, shall we 🙂 ?
Read: Where is Armani Made? Is it in Italy?
#2 – How to Spot Fake Giorgio Armani Clothes
Check if a Particular Armani Line Exists
Under the Giorgio Armani umbrella, there are several individual labels. Each of them caters to different markets and has its own, unique logo. For example, Giorgio Armani is a line aimed at older people who prefer to chase style over fashion, while Emporio Armani line is aimed at younger people who prefer to chase fashion over style.
The most common Armani lines which you’ll encounter are …:
(1) … Giorgio Armani Privé.
(2) … Giorgio Armani mainline (also known as Giorgio Armani Black Label).
(3) … Emporio Armani.
(4) … Armani Collezioni (formerly known as Giorgio Armani le Collezioni).
(5) … EA7.
(6) … Armani Jeans.
(7) … Armani Exchange.
Less common (and long ago discontinued) Giorgio Armani lines are Giorgio Armani Neve, Mani and Giorgio Armani Classico (also known as Giorgio Armani Blue Label).
One of the easiest ways to recognize a fake Giorgio Armani product is that it belongs to neither of the aforementioned lines. In case you ever see something coming from labels such as G A Emporio, Armani Reportage, Armani (like the jacket in the picture above), Emporio Collection Italy, it’s 10000% fake. Don’t let any suave “Italian” at the airport tell you otherwise.
Read: How to Spot a GENUINE Emporio Armani Watch
Certificate of Authenticity
Every brand new Armani item, regardless of line it belongs to, comes with a certificate of authenticity. That certificate can either be a two page booklet or a tag, seen in the picture below. Each should contain … :
(1) … hardly visible fibers forming the words GIORGIO ARMANI. You can see this easily when you view the front or the back of the certificate under strong light or direct sun light and by tilting the certificate at an angle. What you’ll see is a serial of beige and grey borders with the words GIORGIO ARMANI in small, hardly visible fibers. They’re IMPOSSIBLE to photo-copy and thus, they won’t be present on a fake certificate. In the picture below, you can see how they look like up close.
(2) … an unique serial number that’s consisted of a letter and a nine digit number (D – 123456789, for example). The letter in front of the the serial number (D, in our case) will be always, ALWAYS of olive green color and slightly smaller than the nine digit number (which is ALWAYS of black color) is written.
(3) … one vertical line printed using Microprinting Technique wording containing the words «FEDRIGONI CARTIERE S.P.A» in small letters.
(4) … rows with words Giorgio Armani which are only visible under UV light. In the picture below, you can see how it should look like.
If the authenticity tag doesn’t have ALL of the aforementioned 4 elements, it’s a fake. And if a certificate is fake, it’s absolutely certain that the item in question is a fake as well! In the picture below (taken from eBay), you can see how a fake one looks like.
Read: Differences BETWEEN an ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA SUIT and a SUIT MADE FROM ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA FABRIC
Logo
As I said before, Giorgio Armani has several significant lines inside its umbrella, each of them being a world of its own – each targets completely different markets (clothing from the Emporio Armani label is intended for people who chase fashion over style, whereas Armani Collezioni clothing is intended for people who chase style over fashion) and, what’s most important, has a unique logo (you’ll NEVER see a logo with an Emporio Armani eagle on clothing coming from the Armani Collezioni label). In this section I’ll be covering the latter.
Giorgio Armani
The current Giorgio Armani logo is a black square on which “Giorgio Armani” is written in white letters. If that item was made in Italy, “Made in Italy” will also be written on the bottom of the logo in small, white letters. In the picture above, you can see how one of them looks like.
From what I’ve seen, Giorgio Armani leather and fur jackets should also include label logos of this design made from leather. The “Giorgio Armani” lettering will be stamped on them, and won’t be colored.
The older Giorgio Armani logo is of design similar to the ones currently in use (a black square on which “Giorgio Armani” is written in white letters). The main difference is that on this logo “A Milano -Borgonuovo 21” is written underneath “Giorgio Armani”. If that item was made in Italy, there’ll be a smaller label (attached to the main one) on which “Made in Italy” is written also in white letters. In the picture above, you can see how one of them looks like.
Vintage Giorgio Armani logos are, in comparison to the newer ones, significantly smaller, on which “Giorgio Armani” and “a Milano – Borgonuovo 21“ are written in white, textured letters. In the picture below, you can see how one of them looks like.
In order to avoid complicating things further (they already are, as you can see 🙂 ), keep in mind that I didn’t include all vintage Giorgio Armani logos (like those from the late 70-ies and 80-ies) in this guide because it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever get to see them. In case you want to learn more about them, in this article you can see how they look like.
With Giorgio Armani logos out of the way, let’s talk about about those coming from the Emporio Armani label.
Read: SHOULD YOU Buy Clothes From HIGH END Brands?
Emporio Armani
The current Emporio Armani logo is a black square on which “Emporio Armani” is written in white letters. If that item was made in Italy, “Made in Italy” will be written on the bottom in smaller, white letters. However, the most distinguishing feature of this logo is the Armani eagle – this and the EA7 logos are the only Armani lines that have it. In the picture above, you can see how one of them looks like.
The older Emporio Armani logo is a white square on which “Emporio Armani” is written in black letters. If that item was made in Italy, “Made in Italy” will be written on the bottom (and sometimes on the right side) in black letters. Like its newer counterpart, this label also contains the Armani eagle. In the picture above, you can see how one of them looks like.
And finally, a vintage Emporio Armani logo is a relatively small white rectangle label on which “Emporio Armani” is written in small, black letters. If that item was made in Italy, “Made in Italy” will be written at the bottom. Like its newer counterparts, this label also contains the Armani eagle and in the picture below, you can see how it looks like.
In case an Emporio Armani label differs in ANY WAY from those in the above pictures, it’s a GUARANTEED fake!
With Emporio Armani logos out of the way, let’s talk about about those coming from the Armani Collezioni label.
Read: The WORLD’S ULTIMATE Guide to Prada Lines
Armani Collezioni
The Armani Collezioni logo is a white square on which “Armani Collezioni” is written in black letters. If that item was made in Italy, “Made in Italy” will also be written at the bottom. In the above picture, you can see how one of them looks like.
Vintage Armani Collezioni logo is, compared to the newer one, smaller. It is of white color on which “Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni” is written in black letters. If that item was made in Italy, “Made in Italy” will be written on its right side. In the picture below, you can see how that label looks like.
In case an Armani Collezioni logo differs in any way from those in the pictures that you see in this article, it’s a guaranteed fake – ESPECIALLY if an Armani Eagle is present!
Read: Are Giorgio Armani Suits REALLY That Good?
EA7
The last logo remaining is the one coming from the EA7 line, which is a black square on which ” EA7 Emporio Armani” is written in white letters. Like the Emporio Armani line from which it diverged from, this logo should also contain an Armani eagle. In the picture below, you can see how one of them looks like.
If you ever see a size number on the EA7 tag or if there’s a smaller sized label that says “Made it Italy”, it’s a guaranteed fake – clothes coming from this line aren’t made in Europe at all. Before we move on to the next section, it’s important to mention that shirts and polo shirts coming from this label have a logo and size printed on the inner side of the collar.
Care Labels
Every Armani garment comes with an robustly stitched care label containing all the information about the products (size, materials used, country of origin and more). Its fabric should be smooth to the touch.
The care labels currently in use (and regardless of line) always come with a special identification code called Certilogo, through which you can check whether the garment is authentic (like the one in the picture above). Pre 2016 ones won’t have them.
Giorgio Armani
On Giorgio Armani clothes, the care labels are ALWAYS black with white lettering. In the picture below, you can see how one of them looks like (the current ones will have Certilogo on them as well).
On older Giorgio Armani clothes, the care labels are also ALWAYS black with white lettering, but are of simpler design, like the one seen in the picture below.
All other Armani Lines
Care labels coming from other Armani lines are of same design like their Giorgio Armani counterparts but are of different color – they’ll be ALWAYS white with black lettering. In the picture below, you can see how one of them (and current as of time of this writing) looks like.
On older Armani lines (except those coming from the Giorgio Armani line), the care labels are also ALWAYS white with black lettering, but are of simpler design, like the one seen in the picture below.
Vintage
Vintage Armani care labels (from all lines) come in many different variants (which differ from model to model and from item to item) which are too numerous to list here. They’re usually made from very thick paper (and in some instances, plastic) and in the image below, you can see how one of them looks like.
#3 – Some Parting Words
Now that you know how to easily recognize fake Giorgio Armani, I’m certain that you’ll be able to find some genuine pieces for a very great price – if you have any questions (or if something is unclear), let me know in the comment section and on Instagram by commenting on my last photo and I’ll answer as best as I am able.
Thank you for reading. If you’ve liked this article and want to see more like them, bookmark this site and follow me on Instagram!
Until next time.
Your man,
-Leon
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Thank you for complaining this list. I just bought a jacket that has a label not mentioned in this article. Concerned it could be fake potentially.
The label is inside a leather black jacket. “Giorgio Armani” with a white bird above displaying “GA”. The jacket has a design on the inside. Hoping to find more information. Have you ever seen this kind of logo?
Hello.
Only the EMPORIO (!!) Armani line has the eagle logo. Other lines (like Giorgio Armani in your case) don’t have it for 100%. That being said, I guarantee that your jacket is a fake.
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