Giorgio Armani is being criticized after stating in an interview that gay men shouldn’t dress gay.
“A homosexual man is a man 100 percent. He does not need to dress homosexual,” the Italian fashion designer said in an interview with Sunday Times magazine. “When homosexuality is exhibited to the extreme – to say ‘ah, you know I am a homosexual’ – that has nothing to do with me. A man has to be a man.”
Armani’s comments came under fire on Twitter where many tweeted out their displeasure for the 80-year-old designer.
“My limited amount of @armani clothing will be donated to charity. Wouldn’t want anyone to accuse me of not dressing gay enough,” wrote one Twitter user.
Armani’s comments are the latest to be seen as “anti-gay” in an industry usually viewed as very accepting of the gay community. Last month, designer’s Domenico Dolce and Stephano Gabbana were attacked for opposing gay adoption and in-vitro fertilization.
“The only family is the traditional one,” Dolce said, calling children born via in-vitro “children of chemistry, synthetic children.”
Armani has never admitted to being gay, but has also never denied it.
“He will talk about everything except his private life,” the Sunday Times article reads. “No one denies he is gay. There’s a picture of his long-time companion in a silver frame next to where he is sitting. Yet, he won’t talk about him or any of his other partners.”
The article further addresses Armani’s reluctance to discuss his sexuality saying he “is still worried that sales in Asia might fall if he dropped the mask”.
