Giorgio Armani’s Famous Wedding Dresses: Katie Holmes and More

Giorgio Armani, who died on Thursday at the age of 91, designed red carpet gowns and dresses worn by some of the most famous women in the world. The Italian designer also curated the wedding day looks for high-profile celebrities and royalty, including Katie Holmes‘ 2006 gown and Princess Charlene’s 2011 dress.

Princess Charlene

When Charlene Wittstock got engaged to Prince Albert II of Monaco, the former competitive swimmer tapped Armani to design her wedding gown. The dress represented a significant departure from other European royal wedding gowns, with a sleek modern design and intricate embroidery.

Royal weddings in the past marked a certain grandeur heightened by the wedding gowns of such figures as Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly Grace Kelly, and Princess Diana, whose 1981 wedding gown still garners fascination.

For Princess Charlene, contemporary elements with nods to the past incorporated throughout her gown’s design. Armani constructed the off-white column gown with duchess silk satin and included a bevy of subtle glittering elements running down the front of the column silhouette dress.

Roughly 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother-of-pearl teardrops and 30,000 gold stones created the delicate botanical design embroidered along the front of the bodice and down the skirt.

A long train measuring roughly 16 feet added further drama to the look. The dress’ contemporary elements included a crossover neckline. Princess Charlene’s wedding day look was complete with a cathedral-length veil.

The royal and Armani had a close relationship prior to the 2011 wedding. The two first met in 2006, with Charlene wearing some of Armani’s designs to the Beijing Olympics less than two years later. Conscious of the inevitable comparisons to Princess Grace, Charlene’s gown represented a departure from classic wedding dresses and wholly embraced modernity.

Katie Holmes

Five years prior to dressing Princess Charlene for her wedding day, Armani was tasked with curating the wedding looks for Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’ 2006 nuptials in Rome.

Holmes wore an ivory off-the-shoulder silk gown with a train featuring a crinoline frill around the shoulders and adorned in Valenciennes lace and Swarovski beaded crystal embroidery. An ivory tulle floor-length veil completed Holmes’ 2006 wedding day look.

“Katie wanted a simple, elegant dress that was rich in material with a slim silhouette. I couldn’t have been in more agreement,” Armani told WWD exclusively following the wedding in 2006. “I wanted to make it modern but at the same time, compliment that sweetness and energy she conveys.”

Holmes and Armani had only met one year prior to the designer curating the actress’ wedding dress. The two “clicked immediately,” Armani said. “Several fittings followed but the last few were in Los Angeles overseen by my niece Roberta and a team from my Giorgio Armani Privé and Giorgio Armani Hand Made to Measure ateliers.”

At the reception, Holmes wore another Armani design, changing out of her ornate ivory dress in favor of an asymmetric champagne Giorgio Armani Privé evening gown with silk organza decorated in Swarovski crystal beads.

Katherine Schwarzenegger

Armani designed Katherine Schwarzenegger’s wedding dress for her 2019 nuptials with actor Chris Pratt.

“Yesterday was the best day of our lives. We became husband and wife in front of God, our families and those we love,” Schwarzenegger wrote in the caption to her June 2019 Instagram photo, featuring the gown.

“It was intimate, moving and emotional. We feel so blessed to begin this new chapter of our lives. We are so thankful to our families and our friends who stood with us, and grateful to Mr. Giorgio Armani, who created a once-in-a-lifetime dress for me to wear, and for Chris, the perfect suit. This morning we feel nothing but blessed.”

The custom column gown was designed in a white crinoline lace bustier that featured a full skirt, which extended into a romantic lace train. Schwarzenegger reportedly incorporated sentimental elements into her wedding day look, including mom Maria Shriver’s tulle veil and her grandmother’s earrings.