Step aboard the ritzy, glitzy superyacht designed by Giorgio Armani
Showcasing an understated-luxe scheme typical of the creative, there are neutral, beigey hues and a generous application of marbled floors
Words: Josh Lee
Since at least 1975, Giorgio Armani has been a fixture name among the front-row crowd, a fashion designer who, throughout the decades, has found renown with his clean-cut tailored lines and easygoing yet refined elegance – and this bankable style has allowed him to expand his fingerprints into cosmetics, home decor, grand hotels and graceful resorts.
As someone whose label has become synonymous with the upper echelons of society, it would only seem natural, almost inevitable, then, that he is now lending his perfectly tuned eye to yet another sector that has been long intertwined with the rich and famous: superyachts.
Indeed, it has already been documented that Armani takes extreme joy from the pleasures of the sea, an affinity that stems from childhood, a period in which, he says, the blue of the waters represented the endless possibilities of life. In his senior years, following the establishment of his wild success, he would eventually indulge in his own vessels, creating and furnishing two personal yachts, the Maìn and the Mariù. Last year, he was also the title sponsor of the 15th edition of the YCCS Superyacht Regatta, which comprised four days of coastal races against the backdrop of La Maddalena archipelago.
It now appears that Armani has taken an even deeper plunge into the world of boats, as renders unveiled this past Saturday show that he is creating a 72m-long vessel in collaboration with Admiral Style Centre, operated by The Italian Sea Group, one of the world’s biggest boating firms since the late 1500s.
Currently in production, and already snapped up by a crypto-magnate from Greece, the super-luxe vehicle, the first of two creations in this partnership, is set to be delivered next year, and, in typical Armani style, it is a sophisticated build that showcases his penchant for a neutral palette, premium materials and fine craftsmanship.
The ship’s outer, rather notably, is defined by “geometric volumes” that are counterbalanced by “curvier, softer shapes”, and has a slightly taut, lean silhouette that gives it a more polished edge over its counterparts, which often appear bulky and superfluous.
The interior mockups – which include a main living area, a formal dining space that can be sectioned away, a massage room and a beach-club gym – further exhibit the understated-luxe ethos that Armani takes to his made-to-measure clothing: there are beigey tones, subtle gold trims, the odd smattering of darkwood, a generous application of polished floors in marble and expansive less-is-more spaces that bring to mind the fit-out of a pitch-perfect five-star stay.
To remind guests of where they are, the expansive upper-deck lounge provides the opportunity to ogle the shifting landscapes ahead.
“The sea and design are two of my greatest passions. With this new collaboration, I have extended my idea of furnishing and decor to the nautical world, in which – just as in fashion – aesthetics and functionality come together in a natural and elegant style,” Armani said.
In a high-moneyed world where great beasts of the sea get more lavish and embellished by the year, does this vessel mark a new, streamlined, fashion-forward stage in the superyachts arms race? We wouldn’t want to bet against it.
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