Say Uncle

Photo: Marco Piovanotto/Polaris

On Thursday, December 14, Roberta Armani, the tall, well-tanned 36-year-old niece of Giorgio, will host the Young Artists’ Ball at the Guggenheim Museum. It’s a coming-out party of sorts for Roberta, who has toiled for her uncle for the past sixteen years in (relative) obscurity. But not anymore. She spoke with Amy Larocca.

What do you do for Armani?
I’ve been creating my own VIP office. And, say, my uncle has to pick up an award in Madrid, but he can’t be there—I am the person who goes there. I try to be where he cannot.

Aren’t you also an actress?
It was always my dream to be in acting, but of course I was meant to be in the company instead. But one night I went to a festival with my uncle, and a director said he was looking for the same face that I have for a role.

Do other young Armanis work in the business? My sister Silvana is in the design—she has a very good eye for the street—and my cousin Andrea is on the business side. We’re spread out according to our skills.

How did you end up helping with Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes’s wedding?
Ever since I met them the first time, it was instant love. We are very good friends now. They’re nice people, they say hello to everybody. And all the relationships we have with people that we dress are friendships. I’m good at making these relationships. I’m hot—not hot like sexy, but warm. It’s natural for me to make connections. I can help my uncle in this way because he speaks no English.

Really?
I think he understands everything exactly, actually. But I think he likes to keep his aura. It’s more mystery if he speaks no English.

So how’s Suri?
She’s really intelligent. She’s only 6 months old, but she’s really, really mature.

Was the wedding great?
Oh, it was fantastic. It was full of love. It was the combination of two people spreading out so much love around them. It was actually the best wedding I’ve seen in my life.

Better than yours?
Oh, yes.

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Say Uncle