Giorgio Armani
His First Digital Flagship
This month, the world lost Giorgio Armani — a true visionary who changed the way we see style, elegance, and timeless design. His passing brought me back to one of the most meaningful projects of my career: creating his very first e-commerce website.
I still remember flying in and out of Milan for the day, walking into his headquarters and working closely with the teams across fashion, beauty, and Armani/Casa. There was a unique energy in those rooms! and a sense of responsibility to bring the Armani universe online for the very first time. Looking back, it was an honour to help shape his very first digital flagship at such a pivotal moment.
Brands now operate in a world where intelligence matters as much as aesthetics. Where systems must not only sell, but think, adapt, and act across the entire customer and product lifecycle.
The next evolution of commerce is not static platforms — it is agentic commerce.
An ecosystem where intelligent agents operate behind the scenes: orchestrating inventory, identity, logistics, payments, client relationships, and post-purchase engagement in real time. Where every product becomes an active touchpoint, and every interaction feeds a smarter, more personal brand relationship.
In this model:
Products are dynamically matched to the right client, at the right time
Supply chains are monitored and optimised in real time
Every transaction leaves a verifiable, tamper-proof record Inventory updates itself globally, without manual intervention
Payments are routed directly to brands, with built-in automation
Commerce works seamlessly across currencies and markets
Products become communication channels between brand and client
Resale generates value back to the brand through embedded rules
Ownership and product history follow the item across its lifetime
Loyalty begins with the first interaction, not the tenth purchase
Sustainability and sourcing are provable, not just promised
If I were rebuilding Armani.com today, the strategy would be about using new technologies.
It would be to design a living, intelligent ecosystem — where agentic AI, connected products, and secure digital infrastructure work together to protect brand equity, elevate product value, and create long-term client relationships rooted in trust.
From then to now, one thing hasn’t changed: my responsibility to craft digital experiences that respect the soul of a brand — while equipping it with the intelligence it needs to thrive in the future.