American Gigolò (1980)
by Paul Schrader
The news of Giorgio Armani’s passing has marked the end of an era – not only for fashion, but for that shared cultural imagination in which his style became a universal language.
Among the many images he leaves behind, one belongs more to cinema than to the catwalk: Richard Gere opening a wardrobe in American Gigolo (1980), carefully browsing through Armani jackets and shirts (American Gigolo – Matching Shirts & Ties).
In this simple yet magnetic scene, a myth takes shape: the birth of the “Armani man,” an icon of effortless, sophisticated, and sensual elegance.