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When American Gigolo hit cinemas in 1980, Richard Gere and Giorgio Armani offered a fresh perspective on men’s suits. Hollywood was captivated by Italian elegance, a style that soon spread through fashion and permanently reshaped the idea of masculinity.
In 1980, America discovered American Gigolo and its protagonist, Julian Kaye, portrayed by Richard Gere. His silhouette, sculpted by the California light, moves through his modern apartment and pauses before an endless wardrobe. It is not just a display of suits. In every movement and every choice of jacket or shirt, there is something new, a different way of being a man. Behind this transformation is Giorgio Armani, an Italian designer whose career was still modest but on the verge of a new era.
For several years, Armani had been imagining a new way of dressing, with softer jackets, natural fabrics and lighter cuts. He reshaped the masculine silhouette, softened the lines and removed the stiffness that once constrained the suit. On screen, the colors appear brighter in shades of pearl gray, cream and taupe. The suit no longer feels heavy; it floats around the body and follows its movement.
Gere does more than simply wear these clothes. He surrenders to them, seeming to become one with them.
Paul Schrader, the director, films this ritual as a moment of intimacy. Getting dressed becomes an art, a way of asserting oneself without effort. For Kaye, a luxury escort, appearance is not just decoration; it is his trump card. The Armani suit gives the character a new kind of elegance, never stiff. A button fastened, a sleeve adjusted, and everything changes. The attitude shifts too, especially the gaze. No more playing the tough guy or mimicking the old-school businessman. This is a more nuanced masculinity, at once seductive, vulnerable and relaxed.
The Suit Becomes a Character
When the film was released, the American press raved about Gere’s wardrobe. Armani was hailed as the revelation of the moment. Sales in the United States quickly soared. Hollywood stylists all wanted to work with him, and actors demanded his suits. De Niro, Pacino, musicians and athletes – a whole generation embraced this new language. The Armani suit found its place in the streets, in offices, and even on film sets. It inspired a new vision of chic, freer and less bound by rules.
American Gigolo does more than dress a character. The film represents the meeting of cinema and fashion, creating a dialogue between image, clothing and personality. Armani is no longer just a name on a label; he becomes a director’s collaborator and the creator of an aura. The modern man suddenly no longer needs to hide behind armor. In this relaxed elegance, he discovers a form of individuality.
The legacy of American Gigolo endures. Even today, Armani’s cuts dominate runways and streets, shaping the style of a man who seeks neither to dominate nor submit, but simply to exist with flair. The suit is no longer a constraint or a uniform. It becomes a gesture, an attitude, and sometimes even a wink. Under the neon lights of Los Angeles more than 40 years ago, a man and a designer opened a path that many still follow without even realizing it.
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