How Giorgio Armani Redefined Movie Style Through Five Iconic Films

How Giorgio Armani changed fashion on screen

Giorgio Armani, who passed away this week at the age of 91, leaves behind a fashion empire and a lasting mark on cinema. Over five decades, the Italian designer collaborated on more than 200 films, dressing characters as varied as Wall Street financiers, mobsters, and superheroes. His work on screen helped redefine men’s tailoring and brought his vision of understated elegance to a global audience.

Here are five of Giorgio’s most memorable contributions to film:

American Gigolo (1980)

Richard Gere’s wardrobe in Paul Schrader’s American Gigolo introduced Armani to an international audience. Just five years after founding his label, Giorgio introduced a series of looks that revolutionized menswear: lightweight suits, open-collared shirts, khaki trousers, and a belted cashmere trench. The film positioned him as the designer of modern masculinity, replacing rigid tailoring with fluid and relaxed silhouettes.

Goodfellas (1990)

For Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, Giorgio’s sharp tailoring helped define the mobster aesthetic. The collaboration highlighted how clothing could serve as both a marker of power and a reflection of excess. That same year, Martin released Made in Milan, a documentary short about Giorgio, underscoring the mutual respect between filmmaker and designer.

The Dark Knight (2008)

When Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne appeared in The Dark Knight, his Armani suits became as central to the character as the Batman cape. Working with costume designer Lindy Hemming, Giorgio created a series of two-button suits with strong shoulders and silk ties that emphasized Bruce’s status as a corporate mogul. He also dressed Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the subsequent film, lending Gotham’s elite a cohesive visual identity.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

Costume designer Sandy Powell turned to the Armani archives for Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street. Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort wore Armani’s double-breasted pinstripes, one in pale grey and another in navy, which reinforced his image of corporate success while underscoring the excesses of his lifestyle. The suits became visual shorthand for the ambition and greed at the center of the story.

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

In Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, Giorgio designed an ivory dinner jacket for Brad Pitt’s Aldo Raine. Complete with peak lapels, a red carnation, and pearl cufflinks, the look provided a striking contrast to Aldo’s usual military garb. It highlighted Giorgio’s ability to balance period detail with cinematic glamour.

Across these films, the Italian designer’s work was never simply decorative. His clothes shaped character, grounded narratives, and often became part of the cultural memory of the films themselves. For Hollywood, Giorgio Armani was a storyteller in fabric.

Photos courtesy IMDB