Giorgio Armani biopic in works with Bille August as director

Filmmaker Bille August will direct a biopic titled Armani: The King of Fashion on designer Giorgio Armani, produced by Andrea Iervolino. However, the Armani Group has disowned the project, stating it is unauthorised and not affiliated with the fashion house

Los Angeles: Two-time Palme d’Or-winning filmmaker Bille August is set to direct a biopic on late fashion designer Giorgio Armani.

Titled “Armani: The King of Fashion”, the film will be produced by Italian producer Andrea Iervolino and chronicle the life and career of the celebrated Italian designer, who died in Milan in September last year at the age of 91, reported The Hollywood Reporter.

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Iervolino praised August, known for acclaimed films such as “Pelle the Conqueror”, “The House of the Spirits”, “Les Miserables”, “Night Train to Lisbon” and “A Fortunate Man”, saying the filmmaker’s sensibility aligns with Armani’s legacy.

“There are directors who make great films, and there are directors who possess the rare ability to reveal the humanity behind greatness. Bille August belongs to that extraordinary category,” Iervolino said in a statement.

However, the Armani Group clarified that the project is unauthorised and has no association with the fashion house.

In a statement, the company said it was aware of the film but had “never been involved in the initiative, nor has it authorized, supported, endorsed, or participated in its development or production”.

“The company therefore considers itself entirely unrelated to the project and dissociates itself from both the director and the content of the project,” it added.

Born in Piacenza, Italy, in 1934, Armani began his career as a window dresser before working under renowned menswear designer Nino Cerruti. In 1975, he co-founded the Giorgio Armani fashion house with his partner, architect Sergio Galeotti.

Over the decades, Armani became one of the world’s most influential fashion designers and maintained close ties with Hollywood, designing costumes for films such as “American Gigolo”, “The Untouchables” and “The Wolf of Wall Street”.

Casting for “Armani: The King of Fashion” has not yet been announced.

Iervolino’s recent production credits include Michael Mann’s “Ferrari” and the upcoming “Maserati: The Brothers”, directed by Bobby Moresco.