Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Yohji Yamamoto: Why these fashion icons are still relevant

True fashion icons in an era of shallow influencers and disposable talent, Giorgio Armani at 90, Ralph Lauren at 85, and Yohji Yamamoto at 81 have beaten all the odds in the fashion race to show stellar creations in their latest collections – and in decades of shows. They are the long-distance champs in a world of sprinters and leapers. For fashion is not known to be an endurance race, it favours the mercurial upstart and energetic disruptions rather than grace, beauty and consideration – you need look no further than to compare Alessandro Michele’s clickbait vision for Valentino, in contrast to founder Valentino Garavani’s (age 92) vision of dainty, noble femininity for the Roman house.

The fashion game, often celebrated for its creativity and inclusivity, is often obsessed with youth, equating its loucheness with desirability and modernity. This significantly impacts more experienced designers, perpetuating a narrow definition of desirability that sidelines the older demographics. Brands unapologetically focus on marketing products to Gen Z, and now Gen Alpha, assuming that older creators are less clued-in or influential on what consumers want.

Of course, the very nature of fashion is about the creation of the very next thing, the zeitgeisty, the ever-changing new, and the always fresh, and that can seem challenging for those creators outside the youth bracket. Fashion houses are hiring them younger with every round of the fashion carousel: At age 24, Charles de Vilmorin joined the couture house of Rochas as its creative director in 2023; last year, Sean McGirr became the creative director of Alexander McQueen at age 36. The creative directors at the white-hot peaks of their careers are just 40 – Jonathan Anderson, Matthieu Blazy, and Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry.  The pressure is certainly on for the older creators, some who may feel irrelevant, or pressured to alter their design ethos to fit some unattainable, crowd-sourced ideal. Some have simply been eased into premature retirement – the talented Pierpaolo Piccioli, for example, left Valentino age 56 in 2024.

While some designers have challenged these norms, Karl Lagerfeld literally died while preparing for the Fendi show at age 85 in 2019, prevailing narrative remains one of exclusion, and the senior designer is an exception rather than the norm. The few older designers (such as Paul Smith, age 78), despite their wealth of experience and status, struggle to maintain visibility in a landscape that prioritises new talent (Peter Do, former creative director of Helmut Lang is but 35). This means that fewer established designers get noticed in the social media landscape, or recognised as trendsetters, as the focus remains on emerging, younger faces – a taut cheek being everything in fashion.

Older designers – even the iconic Miuccia Prada, age 75 – have been thought to face challenges in adapting to rapidly changing trends. This, and other errors of perception, is but a function of the loud echo chamber of social media fashion critics, the loudly ignorant who decry any older designer’s work as outdated, even when they were creating innovative designs. The pressure to appeal to younger audiences may force them to alter their style or brand identity, risking the authenticity that originally defined their careers. Mrs Prada, for instance, hired Raf Simons, who is known for having the frisson of youth (even if he is no spring chicken himself at age 57) in 2020 to give the Prada collections a bit of an edge. And now Prada is reaping accolades – cool again, suddenly. Others have simply exited the stage in dignified silence – Dries Van Noten retired from fashion last year, at age 66.

The ageism in the industry is why it is important to celebrate the ongoing success of the golden elders of fashion: Armani, Lauren and Yamamoto are pivotal touchstones to reshape discussions around ageing in fashion. Their steadfast successes highlight a more nuanced and insightful approach to fashion, as an evolution, not revolution, making long-lasting impacts on fashion.

Hopefully, they serve as guiding lights to the young fashion enthusiast, and a young generation without gratitude for the sacrifices made by all that has preceded them.

GIORGIO ARMANI: THE MASTER OF SOFT TAILORING

Year of birth

1934

Known for

The look

Armani’s minimalist, elegant aesthetic extended beyond menswear into women’s fashion, empowering professional women with tailored suits that balanced authority and grace. His influence reached Hollywood, notably dressing Richard Gere in the iconic 1980 movie American Gigolo, cementing his status as a designer of effortless luxury and chic. Other groundbreaking movies ensued and soon Armani was the king of the Hollywood red carpet as well. Today Armani still dresses influential acting royalty, such as Cate Blanchett, and Demi Moore at the recent Golden Globes, to name but a fabulous few.

Lasting impact

Armani’s impact on fashion remains profound, as he championed understated elegance and comfort without sacrificing style. His legacy endures in the continued success of the Armani Group, proving that timeless design and meticulous craftsmanship can sustain relevance across decades. He also pioneered the luxury giant behemoth – and the wheel hasn’t been reinvented: Every flourishing luxury brand must now have what Armani had – oh, three decades ago. The Armani empire expanded into fragrances and cosmetics (early 1980s with L’Oreal), eyewear, underwear and home furnishings, and hospitality, demonstrating his innovations on branding and lifestyle marketing, you name it, he’s done it.

RALPH LAUREN: THE INVENTION OF WASP AS LUXURY

Year of birth

1939

Known for

Ralph Lauren, born in New York City, is a quintessential American designer, from the Golden Age of American fashion (late 1980s to late 1990s) who built a global empire rooted in aspirational WASP lifestyle (White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) as branding. Not to the manor born, and with no formal fashion training, Lauren began his career selling ties before launching Polo Ralph Lauren in 1967. Lauren’s ability to craft a lifestyle around his fashion extended beyond clothing into a complete universe of home furnishings, fragrances, and even restaurants. His cinematic advertising campaigns, made with the iconic photographer Bruce Weber, has become legendary for creating an American Never-Never Land set in grand estates that evoke Gilded Age Newport palaces or the rugged outdoors, helped shape a vision of American casual luxury that was both accessible and aspirational.

The look

His designs celebrated a romanticised vision of Americana, blending Ivy League preppy aesthetics, Native American influences, and aristocratic elegance. Every time one sees a fringed suede jacket studded with turquoise, a bejewelled cowboy boot worn with a flapper dress, or a jazzed-up flannel plaid shirt, you’re looking at a Lauren reference. Lauren made a certain type of wholesome, somewhat moody American boy a cult cutie – the Ralph Lauren man was an idealised Ivy League youth, strolling across the sunny quad, dressed in the pinnacle of classic Ivy League style: Madras cotton blazers, Oxford-cloth button-down shirts, khaki bermuda shorts, and patinaed penny loafers. All Polo of course. This vision remains precise and relevant as ever: Miu Miu’s spring and fall 2024 collections both exemplify this aesthetics.

Lasting impact

His most enduring contributions include the reinvention of the polo shirt as a symbol of effortless chic and his pioneering efforts in branding fashion as an immersive experience. Ralph Lauren’s impact is evident in how modern brands approach storytelling and identity, proving that fashion is more than apparel — it is lifestyle!

YOHJI YAMAMOTO: THE POET OF AVANT-GARDE FASHION

Year of birth

1943

Known for

Born and based in Tokyo, Yohji Yamamoto reshaped the fashion world with his avant-garde approach, emphasising deconstruction, asymmetry, and a monochromatic palette. Initially trained in law, he shifted to fashion, graduating from Bunka Fashion College before launching his label in 1972. His Paris debut in 1981 (he has shown in Paris ever since), alongside Rei Kawakubo (age 82), founder of Comme des Garcons, introduced a radical Asian aesthetic that challenged conventional Western fashion traditions, paving the way for the next waves of Asian designers. He made Junya Watanabe (age 64), and all the way down the line to Hong Kong designer Robert Wun possible.

The look

Yamamoto’s designs, often oversized with deconstructed tailoring, explore the relationship between fabric and the body, rejecting mainstream ideals of form-fitting silhouettes. His design philosophy is deeply rooted in the Japanese concept of “wabi-sabi”, embracing imperfection and transience. Collaborations with brands like Adidas for Y-3 highlight his ability to merge high fashion with sportswear, influencing the rise of luxury streetwear. Yamamoto’s Y-3 made possible such brands as Yeezy, Off-White and others of this ilk.

Lasting impact

Yamamoto’s legacy lies in his defiance of trends and his unwavering commitment to intellectual, artistic fashion. His is a poet-punk figure – but with impeccable clothes. Unlike (his ex-partner) Kawakubo’s recent works, which have become anachronistic art installations, Yamamoto’s work continues to inspire designers who seek to push boundaries and redefine beauty through unconventional means, securing his place as one of fashion’s most visionary figures. You can still see Yamamoto’s shadow in the renegade, uncompromising collections of Rick Owen, age 63, and some of the sweeping, deconstructed looks of Maison Margiela – any designer who deconstructs a jacket now owes something to Yamamoto.

As Shakespeare had written of the ageing Cleopatra: “Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety,” so can we appreciate these masters of fashion. They are proof that it is essential for the industry to embrace the older creators, who express the “infinite variety” of beauty and style every season, in a world beyond unboxing videos and red-carpet drama. By doing so, fashion can move towards celebrating the rich complexity and wisdom that comes with history – a seismic shift that would enrich the narrative of fashion itself, and give it a relevance that it sorely needs for its survival.