Wednesday, 26 September 2007

Armani To Design Phones, TVs For Samsung

Italian designer Giorgio Armani has tied up with South Korean electronics company Samsung to launch luxury mobile phones and LCD television sets. As per the strategic alliance, announced in Milan...

Italian designer Giorgio Armani has tied up with South Korean electronics company Samsung to launch luxury mobile phones and LCD television sets. As per the strategic alliance, announced in Milan, Giorgio Armani will create the design and Samsung will provide the technical know-how.

The designer mobile phone is a mere 10.5 mm in thickness and its first ever collection was showcased Monday in the Milan Women's Fashion Week. The luxury LCD television range will be unveiled in January 2008.

Mobile phones will be developed for both the signature label Giorgio Armani and lifestyle brand Emporio Armani, while TV sets will be developed as part of the Armani/Casa, home interiors lifestyle brand.

"Today fashion has expanded to encompass our way of life, not just how we dress, but how we design our home, the hotels we stay in, the car we drive and the technology we buy," said Giorgio Armani in a prepared press release.

"In fact, we make as much personal statement with mobile phones that we carry or televisions we have in our living rooms as we do with shoes and bags we wear or furnishings that we choose to place in our homes. These are all lifestyle decisions, where design and performance are the criteria," he added.

Jong-Yong Yun, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, said the endeavour would help both the companies to reach wider audience and provide style and satisfaction to the consumers.
"Today's increasingly style-conscious consumers demand products that combine modern design with optimum performance and functionality. This powerful partnership will match great design with leading technology to ensure that performance is as impressive as appearance," said Yun.

"It will aim to satisfy the growing consumer demand for style and simplicity in portable and home entertainment products and enable both partners to reach new audiences and further connect with existing ones," he added.