Thomas Ceccon was named the face of Emporio Armani and Emporio Armani Underwear for the Fall-Winter 2025 season. The Italian swimmer, who won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, lends his athletic presence to the Italian fashion house in a striking campaign photographed by Giampaolo Sgura.
The 24-year-old athlete from Vicenza is a natural choice for Giorgio Armani, who has long recognized the cultural significance of associating luxury fashion with elite athletes. Born in 2001, Ceccon has established himself as one of the most formidable swimmers of his generation. His achievements include setting a world record in the 100-meter backstroke at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest with a time of 51.60 seconds. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he won silver in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay and bronze in the 4×100-meter medley relay before winning individual gold in Paris.
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Giampaolo Sgura’s photographs for the campaign use black-and-white and color treatments and feature a dense grain texture that lends the images a timeless quality. Sgura, who studied architecture in Milan before transitioning to fashion photography, has built a career working with publications such as Vogue Paris, Vogue Japan, and GQ Style, as well as with major fashion houses like Dolce & Gabbana, Versace, and Gucci. For the Ceccon campaign, Sgura uses soft lighting to accentuate the swimmer’s physique and capture his determined character through direct eye contact with the lens.
Ceccon specializes in backstroke and medley events and has represented Italy at two Olympic Games. Beyond his gold medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the Paris Olympics, he has collected two Olympic bronze medals and multiple world championship titles. At the 2022 European Championships, he claimed gold in both the 100-meter backstroke and the 50-meter butterfly. Ceccon also holds Italian records in the long course 50-meter backstroke and butterfly.
This partnership continues a tradition established by Giorgio Armani decades ago, when he recognized that athletes could be powerful ambassadors for luxury brands. During the late 2000s and early 2010s, Emporio Armani’s underwear and jeans campaigns featured a rotating cast of sports stars, most notably David Beckham. In 2009, his billboard image outside London’s Selfridges generated significant attention. The Beckhams went on to appear jointly in Milan billboard campaigns for the brand, demonstrating the marketing potential of such partnerships before they became commonplace with the rise of social media.
Contemporary athletes who have joined the Armani family include Simone Barlaam, a Paralympic champion and world record holder in multiple freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly events. The EA7 Emporio Armani sportswear line features numerous athlete ambassadors across tennis, skiing, and other disciplines, reflecting the brand’s commitment to sports. These partnerships enable Armani to connect with younger audiences while maintaining the sophisticated aesthetic for which the company is renowned.
