Giorgio Armani is pleased to announce that his friend David Beckham, who plays for LA Galaxy and the England national team, will be the official worldwide testimonial for Emporio Armani Underwear from January, 2008, coinciding with launch of the Emporio Armani Underwear collection in the United States.
The first advertising campaign featuring David Beckham, which was shot on location in Los Angeles by renowned fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, will debut with a special gatefold in the February edition of Vanity Fair USA. The campaign will then be rolled out around the world in sport, fashion and lifestyle magazines and on signature billboards in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Rome, Paris and Tokyo.
Giorgio Armani said, "David is truly a modern day icon in that his fame extends well beyond the realm of soccer. He is considered as one of the world's most talented soccer players and a former captain of his national team, but his image has come to stand for more than this. He represents a notion of modern masculinity: as a sports hero, husband and father. He is also a man with a great sense of style. There was a time when soccer players were not always considered to be fashion role models. David Beckham has helped to change that."
David Beckham said, "I first met Mr. Armani quite a few years ago while I was working with the England team when he designed our World Cup suit. I've been a big fan of his style for a long time and, through the years, my wife and I have become friends with him, so I'm happy to be working with him now. For me Giorgio Armani is a man who has been at the top of his game for more than thirty years."
The close union between Giorgio Armani and the world of sport, and particularly soccer, is well-documented. Over the years he has dressed many of the world's great players including Ronaldo, Luis Figo, Thierry Henry, Christian Vieri, Fabio Cannavaro, Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka'. Giorgio Armani was the first fashion designer to select a soccer player as a testimonial when David James famously appeared in his Spring Summer 1996 Armani Jeans campaign. Since then Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka' have also been testimonials for the designer.
The Emporio Armani Underwear collection for men and women was first launched in Europe in 1982.
This collection comprises a basic replenishment line and a seasonal fashion line. The Spring Summer 2008 fashion line features summer colours, such as lime, watermelon and turquoise, stretch cottons with innovative use of the symbolic EA eagle logo and special fabrications in bamboo and micro piquet. The basic replenishment line in cotton, cotton spandex and modal all have a soft finish, which makes the collection ideal for everyday wear. Prices range from 18.50 € and upwards.