Giorgio Armani, a farewell rhapsody in blue and grey
The fashion show celebrating the company's 50th anniversary in the Brera courtyard becomes an emotional remembrance of the designer: his last collection on the catwalk, stars and friends in the parterre
3' min read
3' min read
The last, exciting day of Milan Fashion Week is almost entirely dedicated to Giorgio Armani. The fashion show, in the magnificent courtyard of the Brera Academy and not in the usual spaces, would have been special anyway. In fact, the event was originally conceived to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary. Accompanying it a beautiful retrospective exhibition, entitled Giorgio Armani: Milan, for love, set up in the rooms of the Pinacoteca and containing a wide selection of clothes from five decades of collections, displayed in dialogue with masterpieces by, among others, Caravaggio and Raffaello Sanzio, an exhibition that will be open until 11 January 2026.
Mr Armani, however, passed away on 4 September, so things took a different turn: a heartfelt tribute to a designer and entrepreneur who, together with his contemporaries - all deceased with the exception of Valentino Garavani - forged the very concept of Italian style, a peculiar way of both designing clothes and doing business.
Armani's creative and at the same time entrepreneurial spirit certainly pervaded Milan Fashion Week, which now passes the baton to Paris for catwalk shows and presentations of the collections that will propel us into spring-summer 2026. The catwalk debuts have catalysed the attention of many, but there have also been many different shop openings, from Fendi to Saint Laurent, and the business for the city (see Il Sole 24 Ore of 23 September) has reached record figures, with full hotels and excellent sales in the boutiques in the centre.
Returning to the figure of Armani, it should be remembered that he was the only one truly capable of making inroads into popular culture and becoming a household name for everyone, not just fashion enthusiasts. This happened for a variety of reasons: a straightforward way with words and a great ability as a communicator; strong ties with the world of cinema; the desire to offer products to everyone.
The evening is a celebration and recapitulation of everything that makes Armani, Armani: the understated style full of feeling; the starry audience; the ability to 'Armaniise' everything. The Brera arcades become a very Armani ambience, beige and pearly, with the light softened by lanterns.
