Archive

Armani by appointment to the house of Grimaldi

2011-06-21 14:58

When Princess Grace was married in Monaco Cathedral in 1956, there was only one place to have her wedding dress made: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, where, as Grace Kelly, she became a household name starring in the movies of Alfred Hitchcock. Costume designer Helen Rose's creation, of antique Valenciennes rose-point lace and a train 25-yard train of silk taffeta, was a gift from the film studio.

For the forthcoming wedding of Prince Albert II to Miss Charlene Wittstock, it's haute couture rather than Hollywood which has won the future princess's approval. We don't know yet what the dress will look like, but we do know that it will be designed by fabled Italian couturier and personal friend Giorgio Armani. To those with an eye for such things, Miss Wittstock's preference for Armani was never in doubt: a notable fan of the designer, she wore Armani at two of Monaco's most significant events last year, the Rose Ball and more recently, National Day on 19 November.



Recently voted by GQ Designer of the Year (which is a bit like naming Shakespeare 'Writer of the Month') Giorgio Armani has been one of the greatest influences in men's and women's fashion for nearly half a century. Born in Piacenza, he started work as a windowdresser in Milan before going on to design menswear for Nino Cerruti. Since starting his own label forty years ago, he has never looked out of date, and is as comfortable working with contemporary icons such as Lady Gaga and Cristiano Ronaldo as with any of his celebrated clients. The indefatigable septegenarian now runs an empire which defines not just what we wear, but the way we look, and - with the recent launch of 14 Armani-branded hotels - the way we live.

And he's no stranger to wedding gowns. Megan Fox recently wore a simple strapless chiffon Armani Privé dress with a 16-foot train on the occasion of her Hawaian wedding, and in 2006 Katie Holmes was married to Tom Cruise in an Armani wedding gown with an ivory silk train trimmed - like Princess Grace's - in Valenciennes lace, and embroidered with Swarovski crystals.

Many comparisons have been drawn between Prince Rainier's bride and Miss Charlene Wittstock. But the indications so far are that the wedding itself will look rather different. Rather than taking place in the Cathedral, the public ceremony of 2 July 2011 will be marked in the open air of the Place du Palais, enabling as large number as possible to witness the events of the special day. Given which, what will the unique figure of Giorgio Armani bring to his latest commission? For now, that is a bridal secret best kept by the bride and her specially-appointed couturier.