Armani is expensive because they use extremely high-quality materials, rely on skilled craftsmanship from specialty Italian ateliers, and heavily invest in innovation, advertising, endorsements by celebrities/influencers, and vertical supply chain integration. Their brand prestige cultivated by founder Giorgio Armani also allows them to command premium pricing, as does the strong resale value, customer service in stores, and intentionally limited distribution to preserve exclusivity.
When it comes to luxury fashion, Armani is one of the most iconic and recognized brands in the world. Their sleek, elegant designs come with equally sleek price tags that often induce sticker shock among shoppers. But why exactly does Armani command such high prices? Well, there’s more that goes into those fancy threads than meets the eye.
Top 10 Reasons Why Armani is Expensive
1. Advertising & Endorsements
To cultivate an aura of unmatched sophistication and prestige, Armani allocates big budgets to advertising across major fashion magazines, prominent online publications, and luxury retailer magazine inserts. The brand frequently sponsors high-profile events like film festivals to showcase their most glamorous designs on A-list stars, further cementing Armani as a standard bearer of style and success
2. Quality Materials
Armani uses only the finest materials like silks, cashmeres, and the highest quality cottons for their designs. Buying these premium textiles in the quantities needed for global production is extremely costly.
But for a brand obsessed with perfection, no expenses are spared to acquire fabrics with unparalleled softness and ability to hold dyes and prints beautifully. The result is incredibly made clothing that looks just as good years later as the day it was purchased.
3. Skilled Craftsmanship
Constructing Armani’s pieces requires true artistry and expertise. Their designs have intricate details like sequins, beading, embroidery, and stitching that can only be done by hand and specially trained craftspeople. Armani works with several Italian ateliers boasting generations of specialty knowledge in high-end fashion design.
Combined with production facilities in Italy and around the world, there is tremendous skill, coordination, and man-hours required to make Armani’s designs according to the brand’s strict standards.
4. Exclusivity
Armani limits distribution to an exclusive network of company-owned boutiques and high-end department stores. By capping availability, they can preserve the sense of aspiration and luxury around owning their products.
This exclusivity allows the brand to keep prices high while still building hype and demand among fashionistas. Limited accessibility prompts those serious about the brand to pay premium prices to get their hands on popular Armani pieces each season.
5. Innovation
As a pioneering force in fashion for over 40 years, Armani is constantly pushing boundaries and trying new things. They invest heavily into innovation like tech-enhanced fabrics, sustainability improvements, and groundbreaking manufacturing techniques.
This high-tech method reduces costs and environmental impact without compromising quality or structure. Staying innovative requires immense R&D expenditures most clothing brands cannot afford. But for Armani, bringing concepts into reality delivers value that affluent consumers will pay extra to access.
6. Prestige Advertising & Endorsements
To cultivate an aura of unmatched sophistication and prestige, Armani allocates big budgets to advertising across major fashion magazines, prominent online publications, and luxury retailer magazine inserts. The brand frequently sponsors high-profile events like film festivals to showcase their most glamorous designs on A-list stars, further cementing Armani as a standard bearer of style and success.
These efforts keep the brand front-of-mind as the absolute epitome of Italian taste and craftsmanship at the most aspirational level. Armani also invests in dressing trendsetting celebs for red carpets, concerts, sports events, and more to beam their name out 24/7 to style-watchers worldwide.
7. Vertical Integration
Unlike most fashion labels, Armani maintains control and oversight across the entire production cycle from design to retail. Their label encompasses 11 sub-brands each focused on different fashion categories and demographics. By handling every step for multiple lines-of-business in-house, they can maximize profits while managing pricing with surgical precision.
Owning the whole value chain also lets them deliver new styles faster by eliminating communication lags with other companies. This operational efficiency pays off with stronger collections and amplified brand heat to justify higher price points at checkout.
8. Designer Persona Cultivation
Giorgio Armani himself became just as famous and revered as the iconic brand he built. He was notorious for his visionary design instincts, trendsetting personal style, and ability to build hype with provocative themes season after season. Armani continues this legacy today as a fashion house driven directly by the creative and business perspectives of “King Giorgio” prior to his retirement.
His active presence until 2020 gave the brand’s hefty price points even more perceived value given his discernible hand guiding each collection. Maintaining the Armani ethos as an extension of the founder/namesake’s one-of-a-kind talents makes the clothing worth every penny to fans worldwide.
9. Resale Value
The luxury resale market is booming, and few brands hold their value on secondary markets like Armani. Pieces from early collections or limited editions can sell for more than what they originally retailed years ago. Even gently used everyday Armani items typically retain substantial value and fetch desirable sums for sellers.
This resiliency comes from consistent quality, timeless styling, and enduring desirability stoked by the brand’s perpetual aura of Italian glamour and prestige. For aspirational shoppers, paying full retail on that new Armani blazer seems justified knowing it’ll command great resale prices later to fund the next big fashion purchase.
10. Customer Service
Providing an exceptional personal shopping experiences complete with champagne is central to Armani’s retail strategy. Their international network of expert sales associates are rigorously trained to give customers undivided attention, styling advice, honest feedback, and perfect fits.
Shoppers feel pampered spending hours with patient, knowledgeable staff finding that just-right Armani look. This VIP treatment offers added value versus more transactional stores that helps justify higher prices.
FAQS
Is Armani a good brand?
Yes, Armani is an exceptionally high-quality luxury brand known for using premium materials, masterful Italian craftsmanship, and enduring yet innovative designs.
Are Armani clothes good?
Yes, Armani clothes are exquisitely made with fine fabrics and impeccable construction, delivering both beauty and long-lasting durability.
Are Armani worth the price?
Yes, most fashion experts believe Armani is worth the high prices due to their top-tier materials, quality, brand prestige, customer service, and investment value for resale.
Where to buy Armani?
Armani is sold globally through their network of company-owned boutiques as well as select luxury department stores like Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and high-end ecommerce retailers like Net-a-Porter and Farfetch.