With all the urgent matters on the minds of everyone with a pulse - what are Italian designers Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana worried about? Global Warming? No. Economic Recession? Try Again. Ooh, I know - the insane sanitation problem plaguing Southern Italy - you know the one you would expect to see in a developing country like India - not Italy? Not even close. No, the issue that has the two houses slinging snarky comments back and forth ladies and gentlemen.... Quilted Pants. Yes.. Quilted pants , for men no less. 
DOLCE & GABBANA FALL 2009
Giorgio Armani threw the first punch (more like the first bitch slap) when he accused designers -Domenico Dolce and Steffano Gabbana of copying the quilted pants Armani showed in his previous collection on their runway for Fall 2009. I know what your thinking... I don't know if I should yawn or laugh as I type this story! D&G shot back by saying that they are inspired by the spirit of Sicily when they design and that Armani has never been an inspiration to them. They duo were actually much ruder with their retort and made it clear they don't like the Armani esthetic. We shouldn't be surprised to see Mr. Armani assert himself. Anyone who saw those recent pics of him beach side in St. Barth's knows this man has a nerve! (think white speedo).
Say what you will about either house - they are both hugely successful. Both have iconic collections known around the world. However, lets pay respect where it is due. Giorgio Armani is a legend. He changed the way men all over the world dress. He has inspired a generation of Men and Women with a sophisticated and sexy approach. Armani designed the costumes for the movie American Gigilo which starred Richard Gere in 1980. Men would never dress the same. 
RICHARD GERE IN AMERICAN GIGILO The movie redefined how men could think about their own vanity and image. American Gigilo liberated straight American men to think about fashion without a sense of embarrassment.
Dolce & Gabbana have always been known for their forward thinking and boundary pushing ideas in the realm of menswear and advertising. Out and Proud - the two have made sexuality part of the image from the start. 
While their designs are edgy and sexy for sure - there is a clear difference between the two collections. Armani is all about class and D&G are just more crass. Giorgio is a gentleman. His legions of celebrity fans look to him for classic beauty season after season. Dolce & Gabbana behave more like the contestants on a reality show. They travel with body guards as if they were Madonna on tour. As I've reported here before - the two even kept their storm troopers in force in the showroom in NYC the last two times they visited. The goons menaced the staff who were working the sales market - and everyone was told not to look at the designers. Are you kidding me??? The company actually closed the showroom at the end of 2008, opting to open a much smaller press office in NYC and sell the collection in Milan going forward. Oddly, just as the duo closed the showroom - they purchased a penthouse apartment near chelsea piers that won't be ready until the middle 0f 2009!
So what is a fashionable guy to do - decisions, decisions. Which pair of quilted pants do you buy? This is an easy one - neither of course! Ciao Bello!!