Being Armani

Giorgio Armani, 80, gets a helping hand from his friends as he struggles to get out the sea... but keeps a smile on his face throughout..

He's one of the most iconic fashion designers of all time, and famously refuses to retire, despite being 80.

So it's no surprise Giorgio Armani is keen to let his hair down now and then to get some relaxation time in away from his busy schedule.

And he looked to be having a whale of a time while holidaying in the Caribbean on Thursday... although he appeared to come across some difficulty while enjoying a dip in the sea.

The octogenarian appeared to have a bit of a difficult time getting up from the ocean, but he was surrounded by friends to help hoist him up and out.

The designer couldn't stop laughing as a male companion pushed him up from behind, while two female pals grabbed his outstretched hands to get him into a standing position.

Indeed, his slight mishap was clearly amusing to his younger friends, who giggled along good-naturedly.

The Italian designer was enjoying himself in the luxury location over the post-Christmas and New Year period, topping up his famous golden tan.

And, while he's known for his impressive array of clothing - worn by countless celebrities on red carpets over the years - he opted for a simple pair of white swimming trunks for his dip in the water.

However, the celebrity favourite did add a flash of style flair with his rather youthful blue and green mirrored sunglasses.

The fashion industry heavyweight was no doubt enjoying all the perks of his years of hard work in the business, which have reportedly left him with an astonishing net worth of $9.4 billion.

However, despite taking the odd week here and there out of his busy schedule as one of the world's top designers, he has previously admitted to sacrificing a lot in his life for his career.

'Life, I have sacrificed life. The life of a young man when I first started out and the life of a grown man at the age I am now,' he told Elle UK in 2012.

Adding: 'It is even more so now. Even harder, which is very sad because life is all about friendships, discovering people’s personalities, falling in love, not just once or twice, but often.’

giorgio armani's boy toy

As for his impressive career he remains humble. 'My work today is perceived as being classic, but when I first started out it was a break from the norm. Since then I have continued to reinvent myself. I don’t change my style, but I allow it to evolve,' he explained.

'I absolutely do not feel like an icon. I am aware that I have achieved a certain resonance in the world and that I have done something significant and made people talk about me... I think I have been a very lucky man.'