Giorgio Armani slams Anna Wintour for ‘snubbing’ his Milan show

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There are few things I love more than fashion-insider bitchfests. I love when some designer trashes someone in the fashion industry. I love when some fashion magazine editor shades the hell out of some actress. I love when unnamed sources at a huge fashion house are in full revolt about something their creative director has done. There is nothing better than an insidery fashion beef. NOTHING. So, this one is a gem: Giorgio Armani has a beef with Anna Wintour. And he said so publicly and it’s just… the best.

The devil doesn’t wear Armani! Giorgio Armani slammed Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour after she was noticeably missing from the front row of his Fall 2014 Womenswear show on the last day of Milan Fashion Week on Monday, Feb. 24. Without directly mentioning her name, Armani went off on Conde Nast’s imperious creative director during a post-show press conference.

“There are some who prefer to snub the Giorgio Armani show and go to Paris,” the 79-year-old Italian designer said, according to WWD. “She took an airplane, dumped Mr. Armani and went to Paris.”

“Why should I always be the moron [translating from an Italian expletive] to be penalized because of a person, who, for better or for worse, like or dislike it, is powerful? I feel penalized,” he added. “She said she was sending her people. But if you go to see your dentist and he puts you in the hands of his assistant, what’s your reaction? They told me, ‘She went to see the [Armani] Prive in Paris; she has no time to see the ready-to-wear in Milan.’ She is influential and powerful. But, perhaps, I’m influential as well.” (That dig seemed to imply that Armani, perhaps, could choose not to run his ads in Vogue and other Conde Nast publications.)

Milan Fashion Week ended on Monday, Feb. 24, and Paris Fashion Week kicked off Tuesday, Feb. 25. A spokesperson for Vogue told WWD that Wintour, 64, was unable to attend Armani’s show due to the tight schedule.

“Anna has the greatest respect for Giorgio Armani and everything he has done for Italy and fashion worldwide,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, with the fashion calendar now running for more than a month, there are some shows that Anna is not able to attend.”

Indeed, Wintour was front row at many shows throughout New York City Fashion and London Fashion Week earlier this month. On Feb. 16, she attended the Topshop Unique show and sat next to Kim Kardashian’s younger sister, Kendall Jenner.

[From Us Weekly]

What happened between Mr. Armani and Anna Wintour that Wintour would throw such significant shade? I mean, it’s not like she skipped the MARCHESA show. She skipped Mr. Armani (who talks about himself in the third person). Armani is a big deal. Cate Blanchett is probably going to wear Armani to the Oscars. THAT is a big deal. Why would Nuclear Wintour not want to deign to see his show? And why did it offend Mr. Armani so much?

Also, I love this: “a person, who, for better or for worse, like or dislike it, is powerful.” Every designer out there does not curtsy to Nuclear Wintour. Some actually think it’s a “for better or for worse” situation. Fascinating.

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Photos courtesy of WENN.

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56 Responses to “Giorgio Armani slams Anna Wintour for ‘snubbing’ his Milan show”

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  1. Wiffie says:

    For someone in such a high power position as she is in the fashion industry, I never understood how she wears the exact same hair and boring ass wrap dresses, same silhouette, always, and same chunky jewelry. Looking at her, I’d never think she knew any more about fashion than another rich woman in NY. Some find her fabulous, fine, and occasionally wears a beautiful piece. But as a collective, boring, monotonous, and occasionally dated.
    I also get you don’t have to wear greet clothes to have a good eye for editorial, but i’m just sayin’

    • nico says:

      She wears the ugliest shoes.

      • mercy says:

        The kitten-heeled sandals! Rain or shine, no matter what the outfit, those are her shoes. I actually like them (I think they are Manolo’s), but they never seem to fit her properly and she always looks in need of a pedi.

    • minime says:

      I also don’t understand that…that hair looks like a wig and she makes most of her outfits look like what an old lady would dress: too many dry patterns, too much bling bling.

    • Mata says:

      I’ve often thought the same thing. Other than her editorial power and infamous bitchiness, there’s really nothing about her that stands out or impresses. If it were anybody else in her position, I’d say that she wanted to keep her appearance as neutral as possible so she doesn’t inadvertently influence or offend. However, I seriously doubt she has a problem with either scenario.

      • paola says:

        I remember Anna Wintour wearing a bright yellow Chanel jacket at an award ceremony for Armani a few years ago. I think they always had some beef going on. She likes the power and she uses it and probably Mr. Giorgio has had enough of her. I think he finally realised his success doesn’t depend on what Anna Wintour says or does at this point in his career.

    • spugzbunny says:

      Am I the only person who thinks she is fabulous? I love her style and I think she looks amazing in almost everything she wears!

      Those shoes though …. lord those shoes.

  2. Hannah says:

    What a great fight! He talks of himself in the third Person and she has a spokesperson reply!

  3. allons-y alonso says:

    Let the bloodbath begin!!!!!!

  4. lower-case deb says:

    she went to see Armani Prive in Paris so that’s why she can’t to Armani in Milan?
    two different ownership of Armani?

    and doesn’t Cate wear Armani -Prive- and not Milan Armani?

    i am confuuussseeddd.

    but fashion catfight!!! let’s get it awwwwnnn

    • BW says:

      Yeah, I don’t get the difference between Armani Prive and Armani, either. She did go to one of them.

    • maynot says:

      Armani is ready-to-wear, something you can buy in the shops, Prive is Couture, something one-of -a- kind.
      Usually maison runs the Couture lines losing money, because they have more freedom to create something absolutely unique and glamorous which can better define their style and brand. This in order to sell the ready-to-wear, beauty, perfumes, accessories lines where they make their big money.

  5. Hiddles forever says:

    The Devil does not wear Armani……

  6. paola says:

    What i love about RE GIORGIO apart from the amazing suits he creates is that he never takes s**t from anybody. Including Anna Wintour.

  7. Micah says:

    There has been tension between these two for decades.

    Anna for some reason, doesn’t feature his clothes as prominently in the magazine, and by prominently I mean with the same frequency as most of the designers she chooses.

    I personally don’t get it. His clothing is Amazing.

    This move on Anna’s part was the “icing” on the proverbial “cake”.

    Having said that, over all American Vogue Sucks, with the exception of Grace Coddington who is the best part of the magazine.

    American Vogue reads like a celebrity rag, and has very little imagination left in it.

    • The Original G says:

      Giorgio is always the most modern guy around.

    • Celia says:

      Yeah, I was about to mention this. There has been friction/bad blood between those two for a long time and Giorgio Armani has been upset his clothes haven’t really been featured in editorials despite Armani advertising in the magazine.

    • Mallory says:

      Not to turn it into a bash fest, but Anna’s way overrated. But people are enamored with her
      mythos. I mean really all this prostration is veering into ridiculousness. God forbid someone pisses Anna off. As for Armani, he’s at that age where he doesn’t have to play ball. And minus the third person thing, he didn’t turn into a joke like Donatella or even Lagerfeld.

    • TheOneandOnlyOnly says:

      Yes to you’re comments and they have been echoed endlessly on this site and many other blogs and sites on the internet for at least the last dozen years. Fashion overall was much better in the 80s and 90s when you had great photographers at their height and great models and it wasn’t as corporate as it now is and as Naomi Campbell Kim Alexis Camille Micelli and others have stated in interviews. Giorgio should slam bowl-cut head for ruining Vogue and American fashion – Fashion shines best when it focuses on fashion, not on celebutards.

  8. The Original G says:

    Is she still so powerful? I think Vogue is firmly in the past. I’ve only flipped through for the ads for years now.

    A few stunt covers with Gaga or Dunam isn’t changing that either.

    • Wren says:

      Vogue just started showing up randomly in my mailbox and I was bored of it after the first issue. There was maybe one interesting article in the whole damn thing. The rest of it was ads for stuff I can’t afford and don’t want anyway and things I’d imagine older women with far too much money would enjoy. Some of the photo spreads are pretty, but not different from other magazines.

      I can’t seem to get them to stop sending it to me but at least I didn’t pay for it. *sigh*

      • LeLe25 says:

        I tried reading Vogue once and it literally gave me a headache. Those damn perfume ads! I will never open a Vogue again.

  9. eliza says:

    I can’t stand Anna Wintour.

    Good for Armani speaking up.

    The only time I side with Wintour is on the Kim Kardashian issue, which I am willing to bet, she will eventually cave in on. She loves her buddy Kanye too much.

    • nico says:

      Wasn’t there a rumor that Kim was being photographed for a Vogue cover? I read about it just a few weeks ago.

  10. Penny says:

    Lot’s of major designers have thrown shade at Wintour. They wouldn’t have dared to be so explicit about it 15 years ago, but she’s becoming less and less relevant as the Asian and Middle East markets expand. She never had much influence in the European market except when it came to American designers, and she’s always had almost zero influence over the main buyers of couture. Her power is that the US department stores pay attention to her, even now, but that doesn’t mean what it used to.

    My feeling has always been that most respect the awesome power she wields in the US market, but certainly don’t think of her as some sort of style icon or have much respect for her taste or her creative decisions. Designers like Azzedine Alaia have come right out and said she has lousy taste, so you can just imagine what they say about her off the record.

    US Vogue under Wintour bores me to tears. It compares horribly to French, Italian and Nippon Vogue, it’s just bland on bland, some months I might as well just be looking at a department store catalogue.

    • The Original G says:

      The way she’s celebritized fashion has also, IMHO, created a new sphere of influence for her and been lucrative for them. But is it fashion? She’d rather cosy up with Kanye than Armani?

      It’s ultimately cheapened fashion in the US and I think it’s reaching it’s nadir with her persistent nemisis Kim Kartrashian.

      • MissMoody says:

        So true. I’m personally shocked that she went to the Topshop show, where she just so happened to be seated front row with Kendall Jenner, but missed the Armani show. So Topshop > Armani to Wintour? Yup. She’s losing it. Fresh blood I say!

      • mercy says:

        Topshop boss is a Brit like Anna and probably a friend. Based on her comments, maybe this was her protest against the extension of fashion weeks in Paris, Milan, or London so the shows overlap.

      • Joanna says:

        She’s for hire. It’s a not so secret..secret in the fashion and entertainment world. And the slime that is Phillip Green-oh do I have first hand juice about him-will pay $$$ for his little band of protege that he shares(manages) with Simon Fuller.

        In a nutshell Fuller who is a multi-millionaire and new he would never make another Spice Girls, felt irrelevant and bored with only playing ‘managing’ the Beckhams and as close buddies with Green, as well as having a small stake in Storm Models, he decided to venture into fashion. He did this by becoming the biggest investor in Storm and thus changing the itinerary of certain models they felt they could make into a brand.

        Kate Moss no becomes a brand. Signs with Top Shop. Brings out a perfume. Jourdan Dunn starts to host a cooking show. And enter small nobody Cara Delevigne-his prize poodle-who is green lighted magazine covers and runways that took Kate and Naomi YEARS of hardwork/boot licking to attain.

        Fuller will buy or connect with anyone to make his little clan happen-enter Anna Wintour who has seen her grip in fashion loosen greatly, so much so that allegedly even she loathes Vogue and if we think about it was never keen on celebs, just HER kind of celebs.

        Threatened with being sacked because she wouldn’t go even more commercial, Wintour started giving her brand as an exchange for $$$, hence you have seen her this past 8 years being more sociable in the public eye then ever during all her years in Vogue pre 2005/6.

        Follow the links?? Obvious now huh? Lets see…The Kardashians are signed to do a Debenhams clothing line which is owned by Phillip ‘TopShop’ Green…Klhoe is offered X Factor which is owned by Simon Cowell best friends with Phillip Green…Kendall Kardashian sits front row at TopShop next to Anna Wintour….

        Clear as the bright sun if anyone wants to see exactly what is in front of them.

        (lol, I want even start with the Jay Z connection to Fuller)

        Armani is solid but is old school. He still thinks Wintour goes by the clothes and not by $$$.

  11. GoodNamesAllTaken says:

    I have never heard or read one nice word about Anna Wintour.

  12. pnichols says:

    She is THE worst dresser ever. Why does everyone fear this hag? Spare me.

  13. Dawn says:

    Have any of you caught Anna’s reality show called The Fashion Fund? I caught a marathon of it over the weekend and it was interesting to watch her work with these up and coming designers and to hear what she thinks is cook and what is not. The one thing she did say was that if you don’t have a show at NY Fashion Week you really can’t be considered a designer.

    • Dawn says:

      Ooops…that should be cool and not cook! But I do find it rather intriguing about this love affair she seems to have with the man-child that is Kanye West? I just don’t get it but it does seem that everything he is touching is turning to shit these days so maybe Anna better rethink it.

  14. Nerd Alert says:

    “Oh, poor Giorgio Armani!” –said nobody, ever, in the history of earth.

  15. Io says:

    Giorgio needs to be papped with a copy of “The Devil Wears Prada”.

  16. mercy says:

    I hope Cate doesn’t wear Armani to the Oscars. He makes beautiful suits, but his gowns are often boring (classic and expertly tailored, though they may be.)

  17. Izzy says:

    The Devil Wears Ugly-A$$ Clothes.

    Also, I hope Mr. Armani b!tch-slaps her right down onto the expensive, hand-woven area rug that must surely be beneath his feet… either that, or I hope it’s cold, hard marble flooring she lands on.

  18. roxy750 says:

    Who do these people think they are? sick!

  19. silly you says:

    armani is a BOSS. but wtf is anna wintour doing? she’s hanging with kardashians at fw now? she has l

  20. Beezers says:

    Very clever of him. He didn’t get publicity for her being there, but he’s getting even more publicity for his comments about her not being there. Obviously, he’s not afraid of her influence. I bet this is the first step and other designers will stop kissing her backside so that she doesn’t try to hurt them. No matter how powerful someone may be, if enough people rise up against them, they will fall eventually.

  21. Miss Melain says:

    I love this blog! Escapism IS smart. And so are the comments from most of the escapees. Wintour looks dour and badly dressed.

  22. Mary Jane says:

    What the hell is wrong with this man’s face? UGH!

  23. Ky says:

    Anna W. is trash, the lady hangs out with whiny Kanye West ,his urinal-gutter gf K. Lardasin & her brain dead little sister. I wish they would put high- fashion back into American Vogue. They need a new editor & they need to stop with the antics.

  24. Drusilla says:

    What the heck happened to Wintour’s face in the first picture? Her lips are asymmetrical and melty-looking!!!