Giorgio Armani and Andriy Shevchenko: 25 years of friendship, support for Ukraine and a common history of fashion and football
5 September 14:59
on September 4, at the age of 91, the legendary Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, the founder of the eponymous brand and one of the main innovators of modern fashion, passed away. Last year, his Armani empire made a profit of more than 2.3 billion euros, and the couturier’s name became synonymous with style and elegance. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to tribuna.
For Ukraine, Armani remained a close friend of Andriy Shevchenko, with whom he had a 25-year friendship. It was Armani who brought Shevchenko to the catwalk with Brad Pitt and George Clooney, introduced the footballer to his future wife Christine Pazik, and even created the Emporio Armani 7 sports line in honor of Sheva’s jersey number.
Sheva on the catwalk next to Hollywood stars
Andriy Shevchenko moved to Milan in 1999 and quickly became part of Armani’s circle. In 2001, the designer invited the Ukrainian to take part in the show of his new collection. Shevchenko walked the runway with Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Sean Connery in the audience.
“It was my first experience, and I was very nervous, but everything went great,” the footballer recalled.
In the following years, he repeatedly appeared at Armani shows alongside famous footballers such as Alessandro Del Piero, Fabio Cannavaro and Luis Figo.
“Andriy was very organic on the catwalk. I immediately realized that the public would like him,” Armani said.
A life-changing friendship
In 2002, it was at a party after one of Armani’s shows that Andrey met his future wife Christine. Their romance quickly grew into a family, and the couple married in 2004.
The couturier also supported Shevchenko in his career outside of football: in 2006, Shevchenko became the face of the Giorgio Armani collection, and the Chelsea team, where he played, wore Armani suits.
Armani and Ukraine
In 2002, the first Armani boutique was opened in Kyiv, and the designer himself came to the opening ceremony. During his visit, Armani visited St. Sophia of Kyiv and donated funds for the restoration of the church.
When Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, Armani expressed his support for Ukraine by holding a show at Milan Fashion Week in complete silence.
“I wanted to show that my heart is with Ukrainians. We don’t celebrate when there is war in Europe,” he explained.
In 2023, the designer supported Andriy Shevchenko’s charity event in Milan to raise funds for the reconstruction of the stadium in Irpin.
Shevchenko’s reaction
“The world is losing a man who taught it elegance. I am losing a friend. Thank you for everything, dear Giorgio,” Shevchenko wrote on social media after the news of Armani’s death.
Giorgio Armani was born in 1934 in Piacenza, Italy. He began his career in the 1960s working for the Cerruti fashion house, and in 1975 created his own brand, Giorgio Armani. His style is minimalism, laconicism and elegance without frills. In the 1980s, he became one of the symbols of fashion in Hollywood, dressing actors for the Oscars and movies.
Armani created several lines – Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani, Armani Exchange – and expanded his business to perfumes, accessories, hotels, and even restaurants. According to Forbes, he remained one of the richest designers in the world, and his fortune was estimated at over $6 billion.
