Is Armani A Luxury Brand? All The Details You Need To Know
The famous fashion house, Armani, is well known for sleek clothes and accessories, but is Armani a luxury brand? Find out everything you need to know here!
Italian brand Armani is a major brand in the fashion industry, offering haute couture and ready-to-wear clothes, leather goods, jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, and home décor. There are also many diffusion brands under the Armani group name, including Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Collezioni, and Armani Exchange.
So if you are looking for beautiful clothing with an Italian design edge, then Armani is a great brand to go for! However, with all these different lines, is Armani a luxury brand?
Some may see it as a luxury brand because of the long history and haute couture line, while others do not consider it a luxury brand because of the many sub-brands and their lower price ranges.
To answer the question, this article will look at the history of Armani, the quality of the brand, and some of the best-selling pieces from different Armani lines, before coming to conclusion on the question, is Armani a luxury brand?
Is Armani a luxury brand?
The history of Armani
The Armani brand was founded by Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani in 1975, alongside his partner Sergio Galeotti. Armani pulled upon his experience as a window dresser at a department store in Milan and as a designer at Nino Cerruti to create sleek and refined clothing that appealed to the elite in Italian society.
The first Giorgio Armani menswear and womenswear collections were presented in 1976, and the brand quickly grew in the fashion world. Giorgio Armani soon added shoes, bags, and accessories to the collections before releasing fragrances, beauty products, cosmetics, and eyewear.
Since the 1970s, the high-quality designer brand has expanded to offer a range of different lines with different target markets.
The Giorgio Armani label creates men’s and women’s clothing, accessories, and glasses, and the collections are shown each season at Milan Fashion Week.
Armani Privé is the haute couture line shown each haute couture season, while the Emporio Armani line is also on display at Milan Fashion Week. Emporio Armani is known for their advertising campaigns that often feature celebrities, including David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Rihanna.
The Armani Exchange and EA7 labels are the most affordable, with EA7 being a sportswear sub-brand of Emporio Armani. The Armani group now has countless stores across the United States and the rest of the world, with their luxury goods proving popular among people of all ages.
The Quality of Armani
To determine whether Armani is a luxury brand, we need to look at the quality of the pieces on offer. Since there are so many diffusion brands under the Armani name, we are going to take a closer look at some of the brands to determine the quality.
1. Price range
Let’s begin with the price range. If you are interested in the Giorgio Armani line, then the clothing is available for between $295 and $11,500, the shoes sell for between $675 and $2,095, while the bags range between $325 and $3,895.
Emporio Armani is a little more affordable, with clothing selling for between $125 and $3,895, the shoes can be as affordable as $75 or as expensive as $625, then the bags are available for between $175 and $845.
EA7, the sports range of Emporio Armani, is targeted at young people and so the lower prices reflect this, with clothes retailing between $75 and $375. Shoes are sold for $45 and up to $325, while bags range between $45 and $125.
Armani Exchange is perhaps the most affordable range from the Armani group, with clothing available for between $40 and $450, shoes are sold for between $40 and $190, and finally, bags retail between $70 and $170. As you can see, Giorgio Armani has the price range closest to other luxury brands.
2. Materials
The materials range greatly as well. Clothes from Giorgio Armani are often made from silk, cashmere, cotton, wool, linen, and sometimes viscose and polyamide. In contrast, Emporio Armani mixes luxurious materials such as linen, cashmere, wool, and silk with some synthetic materials such as viscose and polyester.
The bags really display differing qualities, too – Giorgio Armani is the only line that uses leather in their bags, while Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange make use of polyurethane, PVC, polyamide, viscose, and polyester.
3. Craftsmanship
In terms of craftsmanship, Giorgio Armani sits at the top with all of their clothing made in Italy, this is because this is a runway line, and so the items need to be top quality.
Emporio Armani and Armani Exchange clothing is also very good quality, with their pieces most often being made in China, Vietnam, Tunisia, and Vietnam. You may find that some Emporio Armani items are made in Italy – this is most often seen in wool and cashmere clothing.
Best-selling Armani Pieces
There are so many incredible Armani items to choose from within all the different Armani lines – so we have picked a few best-selling pieces we think you are going to fall in love with. These will also give you a better idea about the differences between each sub-brand as well.
1. Clothing
Let’s start with clothing from one of the most expensive lines, the Giorgio Armani brand. This striking long-sleeved dress is made from red silk for a luxurious feel and subtle sheen, with the gathered neckline, an adjustable drawstring, and gathered cuff make for a super flattering silhouette. The shorter hemline also makes this dress ideal for dinner out or to wear while on holiday.
This Double-silk georgette shirt with a foulard collar shows the smarter style of the Emporio Armani brand. This shirt is made from lightweight silk georgette for a soft, floaty aesthetic, while the combination of sheer sleeves and an opaque body adds a sensual touch. The foulard bow perfectly finishes off this stunning shirt, that would look incredible tucked into your favorite pencil skirt or high-waisted smart trousers.
EA7 has more of a casual, athleisure aesthetic, as shown by this Graphic Series crew-neck sweatshirt which caters to a target audience of young adults. This cotton sweatshirt has an oversized fit, making it so cozy for the colder months, while the back ensures it can be paired with any look. The contrasting black and white print on the sleeves adds a fun little pop of color!
If you love the logomania trend, then the Armani Exchange clothing line is perfect for you. We love the relaxed look of this chic Icon Logo T-Shirt Dress. T-shirt dresses are so trendy at the moment, and this option from Armani Exchange is made from super soft cotton and has a flattering silhouette, with a knee-length hem, and short sleeves. The sparkly AX logo glitters in the light.
2. bags
There are a wide variety of bags available from each Armani line, but the unique silhouette of this Giorgio Armani Small la Prima hobo bag makes it a best seller. The bag is made from luscious palmellato leather, which has a stunning glossy sheen and is finished with a subtle gold Giorgio Armani logo. The top zipper reveals a spacious suede interior, with plenty of room for your essentials, day or night.
This all-black Armani Exchange Camera Bag is the perfect versatile everyday handbag that will suit a whole plethora of looks. This structured camera bag features a thick band around the middle with a black Armani Exchange logo buck for a refined, tonal look. The shoulder strap is adjustable and can be worn across the body, while the glittering gold top zipper allows easy access to the compact interior.
3. Shoes
How can you resist the sleek, elegant look of these Emporio Armani Nappa-leather strappy court shoes?! These pointed-toe heels are crafted from supple black Nappa lambskin leather and finished with a sparkling silver toe cap and a little black bow. The sculpted heel is 9.5cm high and the court shoes are secured around the ankle with a double-wrapped strap, finished with a silver buckle.
These Ultimate Combat sneakers reflect the sporty aesthetic of the EA7 brand, with the trendy, chunky silhouette and large logo on the side of the shoe. White sneakers are an essential element of any wardrobe, and these monochrome sneakers with a thick, cushioned sole are just perfect. The EA7 Eagle logo sits on the outside of the shoe, while the EA7 brand name is printed on the inside.
Conclusion
It is difficult to determine whether Armani as a whole is a luxury brand because there is a wide range of different product lines sitting under this brand name. If we break it down into individual diffusion lines, we can establish which ones are luxury brands.
Giorgio Armani and Armani Privé should be considered luxury brands that sit alongside fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci because of the price range and materials used. Emporio Armani is an affordable luxury brand, or entry-level luxury brand, like Michael Kors and Tory Burch.
Finally, Armani Exchange would be considered an affordable brand because the materials used are not as high quality and the price range of the clothing is not as high as the well-established luxury brands.
We hope you found this article answering the question, is Armani a luxury brand, helpful! For more luxury fashion content, check out the links below.
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