Armani creates style for the home

Armani Casa furniture - all neutral colours and clean lines - is now available in New Zealand.

Giorgio Armani, the epitome of Italian style and refined taste, has launched his furniture range in New Zealand.

Known for creating pared-back designs that evolve each season, Armani captures what's new with his clothing and furniture collections, but not in an overt way. Like the clothes, Armani Casa features neutral colours and clean lines.

"It seemed very natural to me to extend my aesthetic into the home," says Armani of his progression from fashion to furniture.

"While the production process is obviously very different, as always I bring a consistent vision and philosophy across the collections. Now, after five years, I enjoy the interplay between the fashion and the furniture collections, where I can bring inspiration for colours, fabrics and materials from one to the other and vice versa."

Armani takes a practical and personal approach to his homeware brand, always combining form with function.

"I have in fact sometimes used my homes to test a concept before putting into production. Now all of my homes have elements of the Armani Casa collection in them, while my boat Mariu is exclusively decorated with the collection.

Does he regard the Armani Casa collection as the antiques of the future?

"Probably not because my starting point is to create designs that are hopefully timeless, but then again only time will tell," he says.

"My underlying philosophy will, however, always remain consistently rooted in a collection that offers modern sophisticated comfort for the home."

Armani grew up in the northern Italian town if Piacenza, and studied medicine for two years. He got interested in fashion in 1957 when he left university to work as a merchandiser in a department store, before becoming a fashion designer.

In 1975 Armani was ready to create his own label, launching a men's and women's ready-to-wear line with his partner Sergio Galeotti, who died in 1985.

At 72, Armani keeps control of his company, as head of the Armani Group and sole shareholder of Giorgio Armani S. P. A.

Giorgio Armani's home furniture is available at Matisse International, 99 The Strand, Parnell. Ph (09) 302 2284.