Giorgio Armani Plays big With Emporio Armani Show

This year, Giorgio Armani is celebrating his 90th birthday, but he has yet to leave the spotlight – something that, according to the designer, won't happen any time soon. Usually, the Italian legend closes the Milan Fashion Week calendar with two appointments, one after the other: and thus, the second line Emporio Armani is always followed by the main line Giorgio Amani. This season, everything is different, Emporio Armani took the double spot and organised their biggest show ever during Milan Fashion Week, while Giorgio Armani's main line collection will be presented off-schedule in New York later in October.

THE POWER SUITS ARE BACK

Back in the ‘80s, Giorgio Armani helped women cement their own idea of freedom by dressing them in structured jackets: thatis how the concept of the “power suit” was born. Sleek shoulders and boxy shapes catalyzed what female empowerment meant at the time, helping the Italian savoir-faire reach a global audience along the way. This season, Emporio Armani’s Spring-Summer 2025 collection featured ties to recall the symbolic image of a woman in a man’s suit and tie. “The tie, originally worn by women as an elegant and provocative declaration of gender equality, becomes a playful trend. The entire collection invites dressing with freedom and irony, quintessentially Armanian in its approach,” Giorgio Armani explained in his show notes.

ITALIAN GRANDEUR

Emporio Armani's co-ed collection is all-encompassing with over 80 looks, representing the grandeur of the the Italian legend. “Giorgio Armani’s sense of time is both cyclical and linear: his grasp on the spirit of the moment aligns seamlessly with his commitment to a style that remains coherent, changing so as not to change,” according to the show notes. From daywear to night outs, soft tailoring and sheer fabrics became a go-to for next spring. Black and white play an equal part in the collection as yellows and blues, with some appearances of sequin-encrusted pieces, a nod to the ‘50s Hollywood styles.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR EMPORIO ARMANI?

Milan’s ready to embrace Emporio Armani’s spirit: the designer firstly reopened his freshly refurbished Emporio Armani store on Via Manzoni, and then redesigned his space in Via Bergognone to accommodate the biggest show that his second line ever put on. A large rectangular catwalk took centre stage while a supersized shot of model Bekah Jenkins, taken in 2000 by Tom Munro, served as the backdrop perfectly sizing the epitome of the Emporio woman. At the end of the show for the first time, Giorgio Armani took his bow accompanied by his creative forces, Emporio’s menswear studio director Nicola Lamorgese and his womenswear equivalent Marco Brunello, who came out of the darkness, reaching the entire cast of models that had just walked the show. The stage was transformed into a giant discotheque, where one could spot several Olympic athletes and well-known actors, all dressed impeccably in Emporio Armani, the second line which is both timeless and chic, just like the main line, but comes with a more accessible price point. During turbulent economic times, when big luxury companies fight for the same ultra-rich global clients, dividing his forces in two fashion moments, Emporio Armani in Milan and Giorgio Armani in New York, seems like a smart move from Signoro Armani, who always used to say that he would retire when the right time came. Maybe, it’s too early to think about it? With all the rumours of the fashion changes spreading in the industry, and some naming Hedi Slimane and Maria Grazia Chiuri as his possible successors, it’s nice to know that Giorgio Armani, as always, knows exactly what his clients want.

Courtesy: Armani

Text: Giorgia Feroldi