Armani supplied several three-piece suits for Costner. Costner’s clean lines and subdued color palettes lift him above the fray and stand in stark contrast to De Niro’s ill-fitting jackets and flamboyant cravats.

It was Bruce Wayne’s made-to-measure Armani suits that really caught the eye of the fashion crowd when Christopher Nolan’s superhero blockbuster hit screenshic. The Italian maestro also outfitted co-stars Michael Caine, Gary Oldman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

“We have had the Emporio Armani store on Boulevard St.-Germain for some time, and we had the chance to renovate the structure, so I worked on a new concept, light and fluid, an environment that surrounds and guides customers while enhancing the products. We renovated the Emporio Armani Caffè too. I never expected to have quite such a success with this little restaurant in the heart of Paris, opposite Café de Flore. Nearby, Louis Vuitton has expanded too. I have an apartment above my store, a small studio. I adore it—it’s well-done, very comfortable, and close at hand. I can stop downstairs, eat at the Emporio Armani Caffè, and then go the showroom. It’s all very familiar, almost like an extension of [our headquarters on] Via Borgonuovo in Milan. It’s the real kind of Paris that I like to know”.

“Showing in Milan or in Paris, the preparation is the same, as are the steps that lead up to the fashion show. The only challenge is time: getting everything ready in order to move the collection and the staff. The rest follows the usual pace, a sort of ritual. The excitement does not change. After 40 years in the business, I still find the show to be a magical moment—the performance anxiety, the litmus test. But I don’t lose my cool, also because I can’t stand those who do”.

“I like to shop in the fine-furniture shops in St.-Germain. I always find something that captures my attention. I went there first with Peter Marino when he was designing my Milan home; I spent a fortune and bought lots of pieces. Every time I am in Paris, after I finish in the showroom, I allow myself a little walk around the galleries on Rue Bonaparte, Rue de Seine, and Rue des Beaux-Arts. I’m not a party animal by nature, but popularity and my job involve this aspect too. I like to host dinners at home with family members, friends, and work colleagues. Food is typically a simple Italian antipasti of mozzarella and tomatoes, ham and melon, and soup in the winter. After a main of pasta al Pomodoro, risotto alla Milanese, or chicken or fish with vegetables, there is always a dessert, which is either ice cream or a homemade cake. I enjoy taking my fashion and my idea of lifestyle to the world. This allows me to meet my guests, both friends and famous people I rarely get to see”.