“American Gigolo” is widely regarded as the film that marked a significant turning point in the career of Giorgio Armani and his eponymous fashion label. But if John Travolta hadn’t backed out of the film, making way for Richard Gere to take the lead, it may have taken longer for the brand to become mainstream.
“The lead was supposed to be John Travolta, who was the most famous actor in the world after ‘Saturday Night Fever,” Armani told Corriere Della Sera.
“Luckily, Schrader changed the lead, because Travolta absolutely wasn’t the character who could wear my clothes with flair and elegance,” he added.
The actor who took over the role was none other than Richard Gere. With the unexpected death of the iconic fashion designer, the actor is remembering the man who designed the first “proper” suit that he ever wore.
Richard Gere Calls Giorgio Armani a Talented ‘Pussycat’ Who Transformed Fashion
“Giorgio was certainly an original. An artist. A visionary of sorts,” Gere said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter). “With the eyes and hand of a craftsman, and the soul of a painter. His work had his essence all over it. And he cared right up to the end. Uncompromising. I know there were those who he terrified because of his exacting nature. To me he was a supremely talented pussycat.”
Armani’s last interview was released a week before his death. Many celebrities reminisced about working with the designer, including Gere.
“I don’t think I even owned a proper suit before I did ‘American Gigolo,” he told the Financial Times. “He probably taught the whole male world the joy of wearing a beautiful suit.”
“Thanks, Giorgio,” he added.
Richard Gere & His Iconic ‘American Gigolo’ Attire
Gere had the fortune of having Armani design the entire wardrobe for his character, Julian Kay. The film, while propelling Gere to stardom, was just as much about the effortless, modern fashion as it was about the story.
While filming “American Gigolo,” Gere fell in love with the muted tones of the elegant suits.
“It was like looking at an old carpet where the natural colors blend and even bleed,” he told Vanity Fair. “As opposed to some of these new carpets made of plastic fibers where the colors are monolithic.”
Gere claimed that if he’s not wearing Armani, he’s wearing Levi’s.
“I don’t know any other designer,” he added.
Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty ImagesWhile “American Gigolo” will always be the film most closely associated with Armani, the designer is also responsible for the memorable outfits in many other movies, including Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight Rises,” Brad Pitt in “Inglourious Basterds,” and Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street.”
