The Giorgio Armani group, founded in 1975 and named after its founder, is one of the most respected fashion and luxury companies today – there’s hardly anyone who didn’t hear about it.
In order to encompass men and women of all ages and social classes, the Giorgio Armani group has created, like the Ralph Lauren Corporation, way too many (around ten) lines of different identities and quality. The main purpose of this guide is to help you become (more) familiar with them.
Read: The ULTIMATE Guide to Hugo Boss Lines on the Internet
#1 – Introduction
Before we begin, I’d like to mention that … :
(1) … this guide only focuses on Giorgio Armani clothing – watches, jewelry and home apparel are outside the scope of this article.
(2) … this guide won’t cover short lived and less popular Giorgio Armani group’s labels (Giorgio Armani Neve, Mani, Giorgio Armani Classico) because these were discontinued long ago – many of those labels are very old and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever get to see them. I never did – even on eBay and Vestaire Collective.
(3) … I’m not affiliate with Giorgio Armani group nor paid to write this guide. All opinions are my own.
Read: How to Spot Fake Giorgio Armani Clothing
#2 – High-end Giorgio Armani Labels
Giorgio Armani Privé
Giorgio Armani Privé is Giorgio Armani group’s haute couture line, made in Italy and designed by Giorgio Armani himself. From what I’ve seen on Armani’s official site, this label is made exclusively for women and is relatively fashion forward. In the picture below, you can see how one of their dresses looks like.
Giorgio Armani Privé clothes are made to order ONLY – you’ll NEVER, EVER find them off the rack. In case you want to get them, either start modeling for Giorgio Armani or be ready to pay tens of thousands of Euros in selected Giorgio Armani boutiques upfront.
As far as used Giorgio Armani Privé clothing is concerned, you won’t find almost any on the Internet – I’ve tried looking on sites such as eBay and Vestaire, to no avail. The only thing I’ve found are cosmetics.
Giorgio Armani Privé clothes aren’t faked because very few people ever heard about this label.
Read: Where is Armani Made? Is it in Italy?
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani is the oldest and the most expensive off-the-rack line coming from Armani, sold only at exclusive Armani boutiques. Clothes from this line, for the most part, are of classic and conservative style because they’re intended for more accomplished (read: richer) men and women who prefer to chase style over fashion. Expect to pay hundreds (if not several thousands) of Euros in retail for a privilege to wear them.
Giorgio Armani products are, for the most part, made in-house in Italy (underwear and some models of leather jackets are made in Turkey) and their quality is, with some very rare exceptions, excellent. If you take a proper care of a Giorgio Armani item, you can be rest assured that it’ll last you for decades. In the above picture, you can see me wearing a double-breasted cashmere coat coming from this line. Despite being almost as old as yours truly (thirty years)…it still looks almost like new.
All Giorgio Armani products (not just clothes) can be easily recognized by the big black Giorgio Armani label (seen in the picture below). Because of this, this line is also known as “Giorgio Armani Black Label” by many style connoisseurs.
Due to the popularity of this label, Giorgio Armani products are faked HEAVILY. Be VERY careful if you intend to buy their accessories, jackets and suits online – especially on eBay. On that platform, a significant part of Giorgio Armani leather jackets and suits that I’ve seen were fake. Before you buy ANYTHING, read this article first and ask me your question on Instagram by leaving a comment – I don’t accept DM’s.
Read: How to Spot a FAKE Emporio Armani Watch
#3 – Middle-end Giorgio Armani Labels
Armani Collezioni
Founded in 1982 and discontinued in 2017, the Armani Collezioni line (formerly known as Giorgio Armani Le Collezioni) was aimed at men and women, who preferred to chase style over fashion who couldn’t afford (or wouldn’t buy) items coming from the Giorgio Armani line. That’s the reason why products from this line are of classical and conservative style.
The retail cost of Armani Collezioni products was anywhere between 100 to 5000 Euros (they were on average more expensive than those from the Emporio Armani line) – for example, the retail price of the shearling coat seen in the picture was around 5000 Euros (on eBay, it costs around 2000 Euros from what I’ve seen).
Armani Collezioni products were, for the most part, made in Italy by various subcontractors such as Vestimenta, Gruppo GFT and others. Those that aren’t are mostly made in various Eastern European, North African and Asian countries.
Quality wise, Armani Collezioni clothes are somewhat worse than their Giorgio Armani and somewhat better compared to their Emporio Armani line counterparts – in case you ever see an Armani Collezioni item that you like online or in a second-hand shop, go ahead and buy it! Be careful of fakes, though – read this article first and ask me your question on Instagram by leaving a comment BEFORE you buy anything online!
Read: The DEFINITE Guide to ALL Canali Lines
Emporio Armani
Founded in 1982, Emporio Armani is the most popular Giorgio Armani line whose products are aimed at customers who prefer to chase fashion over style. Products from this line are sold at specialized stores and various high-end boutiques. Their retail price is anywhere between 100 to a 3000 Euros. In the image below (taken from the official site), you can see how their style looks like.
Emporio Armani products are, for the most part, made in various Eastern European, North African and Asian countries – very few are will be made in Italy. Their quality is OK – their quality is somewhat better compared to those made by the likes of Hugo Boss and Massimo Dutti. Be careful when you buy it online – this is THE MOST HEAVILY faked Giorgio Armani label – read this article first and ask me your question on Instagram by leaving a comment BEFORE you do so!
Also, it’s important to mention that Emporio Armani is one of the three Giorgio Armani lines (the other two being EA7 and Armani Jeans) that incorporates the famous “Armani eagle” in its logo. In the picture above, you can see how it looks like.
Read: Are Giorgio Armani Suits REALLY That Good?
Armani Jeans (AJ)
Created in 1981 and discontinued in 2017, Armani Jeans (AJ) was Giorgio Armani denim-focused line. When it started, its main focus, as its name implies, were men’s and women’s jeans. As it grew, it also began to offer other products besides jeans such as leather jackets, shirts, footwear and more. This label’s style is, as you can see on the jacket in the picture below, casual. The retail cost of Armani Jeans products was anywhere between 300 to 2000 Euros.
Armani Jeans products were, for the most part, made in various Eastern European, North African and Asian countries by Simin T – only a relatively few pieces of clothing (leather jackets and some jeans) were made in Italy. Their quality is the same as from those coming from the Emporio Armani line – OK. In case you find something for cheap that you like, by all means, buy it. Be careful, though – there’re plenty of fakes out there. I believe that you know the drill :).
During its long existence, the Armani Jeans has, like Polo Ralph Lauren, changed its label design more than a few times. The most recent iteration has its logo on top of a label of a dark navy background. Some of them, like the one you see above, also feature the “Armani eagle”.
Read: Where Are Ralph Lauren Clothes Made? In the US? Or Perhaps in China?
#4 – Low-end Giorgio Armani Labels
EA7
Created in 2012 in collaboration with Reebok, EA7 is Giorgio Armani group’s athletic clothing and sporting accessories label. This line’s name is a combination of Emporio Armani line’s initials (EA) and a number 7. Why number 7 and not 3, you might ask? That’s because Andriy Shevchenko, Giorgio Armani’s friend, had worn this number while playing soccer at AC Milan. Its main target audience are men and women (like the one on the picture below) who want to look good while playing sports and/or follow the athleisure trend.
All EA7 products are made in Asia by Reebok (none are made in Italy) and they retail between 50 and 400 Euros. Their quality is decent and is on the same level as Nike, Adidas and, of course, Reebok. Products from this line are HEAVILY faked – ONLY buy them only from authorized dealers (their prices, interestingly enough, are about the same as those from eBay).
As of time of this writing, EA7’s label logo is a combination of letters E, A, stylized number 7 (whose styles differ from item to item) and the Emporio Armani logo (which sometimes features the “Armani eagle”) on a black background, as seen in the picture below (taken from the official Armani site).
Read: Differences BETWEEN an ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA SUIT and a SUIT MADE FROM ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA FABRIC
Armani Exchange (A/X)
Founded in 1991, the Armani Exchange (A/X) is the most affordable Giorgio Armani label aimed at younger men and women who prefer casual and not too flashy clothing.
Originally, Armani Exchange was a joint venture company owned by the Giorgio Armani group and Como Holdings – it had its own stores, distribution channels and website. That’s still the case today despite Armani Exchange being 100% owned by the Giorgio Armani company! Because of this, many style connoisseurs claim that Armani Exchange is “no real Armani”.
All Armani Exchange products are made in Asia (none are made in Italy) and they retail anywhere between 10 to 300 Euros. Despite being more expensive than H&M and Zara on average, their quality is roughly the same. Yes, they’ll look nice like the one pictured above, but only for a short time!
The most recent Armani Exchange label logo has “A” and “X” divided by a thin line on top and “Armani Exchange” (seen below) on the bottom, in white letters over a black background. In some cases, it’s vice-versa.
All items coming from the Armani Exchange label don’t feature the “Armani eagle”. If some of them do, you may be dealing with a fake item.
Products from this line are HEAVILY faked – ONLY buy them only from authorized dealers (their prices, interestingly enough, are about the same as those from eBay).
Read: 5 Reasons to Shop at Thrift Stores
#5 – Some Parting Words
Now that you know how to recognize the most common Giorgio Armani labels and their particular styles, I’m certain that, if you spend some time on the Internet, you’ll be able to find something nice for a very great price. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments!
Thank you for reading. If you’ve liked this article and want to see more like them, make sure you bookmark this site and to follow me on Instagram!
Until next time.
Your man,
-Leon
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