Armani, Samsung tie-up for designer mobile phones, TV sets

Tuesday, 25 September 2007, 19:30 IST
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New Delhi: Well-known Italian designer Giorgio Armani and Samsung Electronics of South Korea Monday announced they have joined hands to come up with luxury mobile phones and LCD television sets. As per the strategic alliance, announced in Milan, Giorgio Armani will create the design and Samsung 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 lifestyles brand Emporio Armani, while TV sets will be developed as part of the Armani/Casa, home interiors lifestyle brand. The mobile handsets will be available in selected mobile phone stores and Giorgio Armani boutiques in major European countries from November, with expansion to other markets planned for 2008. "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, president and chief executive officer of Giorgio Armani S.p.A, in a press statement. "In fact, we make as much of a personal statement with the mobile phones that we carry or the televisions we have in our living rooms as we do with the shoes and bags we wear or the furnishings we choose to place in our homes. These are all lifestyle decisions, where design and performance are the criteria," he added. Expressing satisfaction over their partnership, 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.
Source: IANS