By Aysha Ibtasam

As if designing several different collections, running exotic resorts, overlooking a flourishing home goods business among many other projects was not enough to keep Giorgio Armani busy that he launched a designer technology gadget for his loyal customers, the smartphone.

Though I must say it is no ordinary cell phone. The phone is fully loaded with features such as a 3.5 inch Ultra Brilliant AMOLED touch screen and Qwerty keyboard as well as always-on connectivity tools, GPS, a 5-megapixel camera, radio, music and video player, 8-gigabyte internal memory and an extendable microSD slot up to 32 GB. This is Armani’s third cell phone collaboration with electronics giant Samsung, featuring Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 software according to a WWD report.

Armani is a renowned designer of the 21st century; with his creative juices running he comes up with fabulous wearable clothes for his customers’ season after season. Armani has infused his God given talent of design and keen eye for business, which lead him to create a complete luxury lifestyle for his clients around the globe. He is one of the few designers who have entered every realm of the fashion industry and beyond to cater to his customers need.

The following information is derived from Women’s Wear Daily as well as Online sources:

Designed by Giorgio Armani and realized by Samsung Electronics, the Giorgio Armani-Samsung Mobile phone will meet the needs of those who aspire to own a technologically advanced and beautifully designed telephone with which to communicate and complete their lifestyle.

Through a new strategic alliance, starting with the Giorgio Armani-Samsung luxury mobile phone the two companies plan to launch an innovative range of portable and home consumer electronics products under the Giorgio Armani, Emporio Armani and Armani/Casa labels, founded on the combination of Giorgio Armani’s iconic design aesthetic and Samsung’s cutting edge technology.

According to Armani, “Today fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life, not just how we dress, but how we design our home, the hotels we stay in, the car we drive and the technology we buy.† In fact, we make as much of a personal statement with the mobile phones that we carry or the televisions we have in our living rooms as we do with the shoes and bags we wear or the furnishings we chose to place in our homes.

These are all lifestyle decisions, where design and performance are the criteria. Samsung has successfully anticipated the growing role for consumer electronics in our lives, while recognizing the importance of self-expression in the development of its products.”

Geesung Choi, President of Samsung Electronics said: “Today’s mobile phone manufacturers no longer just sell mobile phones, but sell more than the product itself – a slice of life and culture. We truly believe that our approach with Giorgio Armani is one step closer to our customers to enrich their lives with sophisticated style and cutting-edge technology.

He added, “This is a groundbreaking collaboration between one of world’s most influential designers and an electronics leader. Samsung’s innovative technology and Giorgio Armani’s established iconic design philosophy is a perfect match as exemplified by the state-of-the-art Giorgio Armani-Samsung mobile phone.”

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, who spoke at the launch, says the device is “the most fashionable phone [he's] ever had a chance to talk about.” We won’t lie, there is something weirdly appealing about the bronze and black smartphone.

Armani further elaborated that“Elegant dressing is part of daily business life, I simply aim to create a smartphone which is not only an elegant tool, but also functional and useful, perfect for today’s managers….This is the Armani aesthetic — to combine beauty with function in a simple and timeless way.”

It’s not in Armani’s nature to be stationed. He recently recovered from Hepatitis, which required complete bed rest. As soon as he felt jolt of energy he has sprigged back on his feet overtaking his various responsibilities of his empire.

Born on July 11, 1934 in Piacenza, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. He attended medical school for two years and experimented with photography. He completed his military obligations in 1957 and worked in a luxury department store called the La Rinascente. His role was to display the windows in enticing ways to lure customers.

For number of years he worked for Nino Cerruti as a designer and eventually established his own men’s wear label in 1974. He added women’s wear line in 1975. Armani’s relaxed designs for women’s wear is inspired by his men’s wear line. And he often uses men’s wear fabrics to create sophisticated and unstructured pieces for women’s wear. His clothes have a classic appeal and gives wearer elegance.

As for the smartphone, it can be purchased in Italy with a whopping price of $1,029- and you thought his clothes were expansive!

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