On May 6th, 2008 the Couture Council, supporting the Museum of Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, honoured Giorgio Armani with its first award for Global Fashion Leadership.

Glenn Close, the famous American actress, presented Mr. Armani with the Crystal Obelisk, designed and underwritten by Swarovski at an intimate luncheon at the Hearst Tower.

Nadia Swarovski, Vice-President of International Communications for Swarovski says, “Swarovski is proud to partner with Giorgio Armani and donate a couture dress to the museum of Fashion Institute of Technology in honour of the Couture Council.” She states that: “This dress was the first to feature the diamond leaf crystal, a Swarovski crystal especially designed and named by Giorgio Armani, and was the final piece of Armani’s Autum/Winter 2007 show. We are honoured to donate this piece of fashion history to the museum.”

The couture dress is covered with approximately 100,000 Swarovski crystals. Giorgio Armani explains that, “Swarovski crystals bring a touch of magic to the dress, an ethereal quality, a lustre which never fails to captivate the attention.” He is delighted to have been asked by Helmut Swarovski to “follow the footsteps of Christian Dior in creating a new and unique crystal creation”, and to be honoured with this significant award from such a renowned and respected institution as FIT.