The empire of Armani -- a name behind fashion to suit high rollers and everyday fashionistas. 亞曼尼帝國——這個名號響亮的時尚品牌適合出手大方的豪客，也適合一般的時尚愛好者。
But it's much more than just clothes. It's hotels, restaurants, watches and fragrances. 不過，亞曼尼不只有服飾，還有飯店、餐廳、手錶與香水。
Behind it, Giorgio Armani, a master of design and branding. 幕後推手喬治‧亞曼尼是一位設計與品牌大師。
Born out of his vision of style more than three decades ago, the company has become synonymous with clean lines and tailored suits. 三十多年前，這家公司因他的時尚遠見而誕生，如今已成了俐落線條與合身套裝的同義詞。
At 77, Giorgio Armani and his design house are still standing strong. The business valued by Forbes at $7.2 billion this year. 七十七歲的喬治‧亞曼尼與他的設計公司至今仍然屹立不搖。富比士估計該公司今年市值為七十二億美元。
And as other major fashion houses buckle under the pressure to go public, Armani remains one of the few luxury labels to stay privately owned. 隨著其他時尚大廠屈服於公開上市的壓力，亞曼尼仍是少數維持私營的精品品牌之一。
This week, Talk Asia's Stan Grant meets the style icon in China, home to almost 300 of the brand's outlets. 本週《亞洲名人聊天室》的史丹‧葛蘭特在中國與這位時尚偶像見面，他的品牌在中國設有將近三百家門市。
He gives us a rare insight into the making of an Armani catwalk show and sheds some light onto the sensitive subject of succession. 他難得讓我們見識了亞曼尼時裝秀的製作過程，也針對接班人這個敏感話題透露了一些想法。
Mr. Armani, welcome to Talk Asia. Thank you very much for giving us your time. 亞曼尼先生，歡迎來到《亞洲名人聊天室》。非常謝謝你撥冗接受我們訪問。
The luxury market brand in Asia, in general, as people become more sophisticated, they've become more wealthy, how much potential is there? 整體而言，隨著民眾的品味愈來愈精緻，也愈來愈富有，亞洲的精品市場品牌有多少潛力？
China approaches fashion with strong enthusiasm. And I believe that this enthusiasm can be translated into something interesting, economically speaking. 中國以高度熱忱接觸時尚，我相信這股熱忱必定能夠轉化為值得注意的發展，就經濟方面而言。
I'm sure it will take time before even the Chinese public, who are willing to buy luxury goods, will be able to approach our products, 我相信必定要花一些時間，願意購買奢侈品的中國民眾才會接近我們的產品，
because it's clear many don't yet understand Western luxury, style, or fashion. 因為明顯可見許多人還不了解西方的精品、風格或時尚。
It will take us a few years before we will be able to see a wider public totally understanding my product. 必須再過幾年的時間，才會看到更多民眾完全了解我的產品。
If I think of Armani, I don't think of fashion. I think of style. This is a victory of style over fashion. 我想到亞曼尼的時候，我想到的不是時尚，而是風格。這是風格超越時尚的勝利。
Is that what you're about? Are you about creating something classic, something that is lasting, and not something that may just be this year's look? 這就是你的重點嗎？你的重點在於創造經典、歷久不衰的東西，而不只是本年度的風貌？
It is a kind of elegance that belongs to me and, probably, sometimes it doesn't have anything to do with the trends. 這是一種屬於我的優雅，有時候這可能和潮流沒有任何關係。
And so, in my opinion, it has been very appropriate to be faithful to my principals, to my personal history. 所以，我認為忠於我的原則、忠於我的個人背景非常適合。
Although, sometimes, the way I am, it might not belong to the present world of fashion. 只不過，有時候我的風格可能不屬於當今的時尚界。
I want to ask you now about your early life, growing up. How did fashion enter your life? 現在，我要問你早年成長時期的生活。時尚是怎麼進入你的人生的？
Well, yes, I wasn't born with an extreme passion for fashion. 嗯，是的。我並不是一出生就對時尚懷有高度熱情。
Even when I was a kid, I never had such an inspiration [to become] a fashion designer. 即使我還是孩子的時候，也從來不曾有過成為時尚設計師的志向。
It was almost by coincidence that I joined a big department store, La Rinascente, through an acquaintance. 我後來透過一個熟人加入拉瑞那斯堪特（註：義大利文，即「文藝復興」）這家大型百貨公司，幾乎可以說是巧合。
And from that moment, I started to direct a boutique and to experience products, especially for men. 自從那一刻起，我就開始經營精品店，並且體驗產品，尤其是男性的產品。
But you never trained as such. So, where did that ability come from? 可是你從來沒有接受過這樣的訓練，所以你的能力是從哪裡來的？
Was it an eye for fashion? Was it something inside you that you were able to create such an empire? 是對於時尚的眼光嗎？是不是內在具備的某種天賦讓你能夠創造這麼一座帝國？
Through a lot of effort, because I didn't even know how to draw. 透過許多努力，因為我當時連畫圖都不會。
I learned little by little. I learned how to draw. I learned how to tell the difference in the quality of fabrics, the subtle differences. 我一點一點地學，學會了怎麼畫圖，也學會了怎麼辦別布料品質的差異，細微的差異。
I started with collections for men. So my first collection for women was deeply inspired by male roles -- businesswomen, women in meetings -- 我從男裝系列開始，所以我的第一個女裝系列深受男性角色的啟發——女企業家、會議中的女性——
and it was much easier for me to steal those items from the wardrobe of a man that could easily adapt to a woman. 對我來說，從男性服裝當中偷取這些能夠自然適用於女性身上的物件，這樣容易得多了。
Then, later on, it became my real work that involved me also in the evolution and in the change, 後來，女裝成了我的主要工作，也讓我投入演進與改變，
in adapting my style towards a more feminine style and less rigid and masculine. 去調整我的風格走向比較女性化的風格，比較不那麼僵硬及男性化。
I see the importance to carry on this way. 我看出了這麼持續下去的重要性。
Armani, of course, is Armani -- it's who you are, it's your name -- 當然，亞曼尼就是亞曼尼——這家公司就代表了你，公司名稱也是你的名字——
you are so central to the company. What about succession? 你是公司非常重要的核心。後續的接班怎麼辦呢？
That is a difficult question, I dare say. It's always very hard to give a proper answer to such a question. 我敢說這是個很困難的問題。這樣的問題總是很難提出適切的回答。
Being here in China, handling this important event and having seen my collections displayed in fashion shows in Paris, in Milan a few months ago, the enthusiasm of all my colleagues... 來到中國掌理這場重要活動，幾個月前又看著我的服裝系列在巴黎和米蘭的時裝秀裡展出，還有我所有同袍的熱忱……
all of this makes me believe that it's very difficult to even fathom giving this up. 這一切都令我覺得，光是想像放棄這一切就已經非常困難了。
Only a catastrophe would make me give it up. But, God willing, I have fully recovered. 只有發生難才能讓我放棄這一切。不過，上帝保佑，我已經完全康復了。
So, as far as I'm concerned, I'll keep working in my field. 所以，就我來說，我會在我的領域中繼續工作。
And then, after Armani, there will be many Armanis from my company -- 然後，在亞曼尼之後，我的公司會衍生出許多亞曼尼——
people who have, maybe, absorbed my history, my thinking, and have been updating it over the years. 也許是吸收了我的經歷、我的想法，而且多年來一直推陳出新的那些人。