Hollywood’s red carpets would not be the same without Giorgio Armani, and no one knows that better than Salma Hayek. Following the passing of the legendary Italian designer on September 4th at the age of 91, the Mexican actress shared a heartfelt tribute reflecting not only on his enduring influence, but also on the pivotal role he played in her early career.
Fresh off celebrating her 59th birthday, Hayek took to Instagram with a moving message. “Loved by so many, the great Giorgio Armani continues his legacy in a different realm,” she wrote. “I had the privilege of being embraced by him and experiencing firsthand his kindness, generosity, elegance, and his ability to elevate anyone who crossed his path.”
She went on to recall a glamorous moment with fellow Mexican icon, singer Luis Miguel, and thanked Armani for dressing her long before she was a Hollywood star. “He made my first Oscar dress and gave me the joy of my first runway show in Milan,” she remembered. “Arrivederci, Giorgio, the power of your spirit and your art will live forever.”
At the time, Luis Miguel looked timeless in a classic black tuxedo, while Hayek turned heads in an ivory sequin slip dress, paired with a champagne clutch and a sparkling tiara that added a hint of regal drama.
A Designer who believed in her before Hollywood did
For Hayek, Armani’s support came at a defining moment. Back in 1997, when she was invited to present at the Academy Awards for the first time, she was still largely unknown in Hollywood, even though she was already a star in Mexico. Few designers wanted to dress her. Armani did.
“It was the first time I presented at the Oscars. The dress was very simple, and back then not many people wanted to dress me because I wasn’t well known. I’m so grateful to Mr. Armani for supporting me at the beginning of my career,” she reflected in Vogue’s My Life in Looks series in 2020.
She echoed the memory in a 2017 Variety interview: “Not everyone wanted to give a dress to the new Mexican girl, and I couldn’t afford one, so I was very lucky Giorgio Armani offered.”
Taking a bold risk, Hayek completed her Oscars look with a Cartier tiara, against the advice of her publicist. “They told me, ‘You’ll be the laughingstock. People don’t wear tiaras!’ But I went with it, and it worked. They actually became trendy! Mick Jagger even called to say, ‘I loved your look, I loved the tiara.’ That made me feel proud for doing my own thing.”
Armani's Legacy
Salma’s tribute reflects what many in fashion and Hollywood feel today, that Giorgio Armani wasn’t just a designer, but a visionary who shaped the modern red carpet.
He introduced understated elegance to redefining power and elegance. His influence is stitched into the fabric of Hollywood style, and in Hayek’s case, into the very beginning of a career that has since spanned decades.