The star of An Officer and A Gentleman and American Gigolo is also commended for being "in the front line of so many humanitarian battles".

BBC: Actor Richard Gere to collect Rome Film Festival honour

The department store placed a large order and launched a major ad campaign that shot the Italian designer's look into households across the U.S. Armani's increased visibility ricocheted to Hollywood, where filmmaker Paul Schrader asked him to design John Travolta's wardrobe for his new film, American Gigolo.

WSJ: The Future of Armani