MILAN: Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi looks too casual and should wear a tie, fashion designer Giorgio Armani said yesterday.
The Italian designer said Renzi, who at 39 is the country’s youngest-ever prime minister, had done a good job since taking office in February, helping to push through a generational change in Italian politics.
“From being mayor of Florence he suddenly had to learn to be the prime minister, he’s been very good,” Armani, 79, said.
However, he said Renzi’s habit of wearing an open-necked white shirt was out of place when he appeared alongside other, formally dressed leaders. “It doesn’t do to play the young man,” Armani said.
“I would wear a tie,” he added, pointing to the example of US President Barack Obama. “A shirt with a tie has a sexy touch.”
It is not the first time that Renzi has come under scrutiny for his appearance. Beppe Grillo, the ex-comic who leads the opposition party 5-Star Movement, calls him “Renzie,” a sarcastic reference to a TV character. REUTERS
