USA: Italian designer Giorgio Armani, restaged his Paris fashion show in Los Angeles the night before the Oscars

Italian designer, Giorgio Armani, restaged his Paris fashion show at a Beverly Hills mansion on Saturday (February 24), the night before the Oscars. The number of A-list celebrities to grace the red carpet made it seem like the Academy Awards had arrived a day early. Armani told reporters he decided 10 minutes after his successful runway extravaganza was done in Milan to bring it to Hollywood and invite the celebrities who wear his clothing on and off the red carpet. The guest list included more than 350 names. The 72-year-old designer stayed busy on Friday (February 23) fitting the 62 models enlisted for the show. Among those arriving at the mansion where the exclusive event took place were Armani lovers George Clooney, John Travolta, Naomi Campbell and pop sensation Beyonce Knowles, who recalled her first encounter with the sleek, elegent clothing that has become the Italian designer's signature look. "The first time I wore Armani I was maybe 16, and Destiny's Child, we were so, we thought we were so fabulous because we had on Armani. It's a girl's dream," said Beyonce. "Because it's classic. It's beautifully cut, and it's classic designs. It's one of those things where you wear an Armani dress and you don't look back at it twenty years time, and you don't go, 'what the hell was I thinking?' It still looks cool," added Sharon Osbourne. Several actors nominated for Oscars on Sunday night (February 25) were among the designer's guests including Helen Mirren, Cate Blanchett, Mark Wahlberg, and Leonardo DiCaprio. Directors Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood, in the running for Oscars this year, were also there to celebrate the designer. Katie Holmes attended the event alone, husband Tom Cruise is busy shooting his next film, but shared her love for Armani clothing, along with an update on daughter Suri Cruise. "Armani is so classic and timeless, and I'm so honored to be here. He's such a good friend, and he of course did our wedding. And, its just a real pleasure. I'm so glad they brought the show here to L.A. I feel very honored," said Holmes, to which a reporter asked about daughter Suri, "She's doing really, really well, she's walking." Armani's visit to Los Angeles is his first in three years, and this will be only his second time attending the Oscars' ceremony. Regardless of his limited appearances at the award show, his presence is very much felt on its red carpet every year, as dozens of celebrities don his clothing on Hollywood's biggest night. Armani is reportedly considering selling his fashion empire to cosmetics giant L'Oreal. The company's net worth is estimated to be around 6.6 billion dollars (USD).

ITN Source | February 25, 2007

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