Giorgio Armani wraps up Milan Fashion Week with an Eastern twist

Last but never least, Giorgio Armani closed Milan Fashion Week with two signature Sunday morning shows, staged in a set designed like the swankiest of nightclubs.
 
Not surprisingly, the star of the collection was the eveningwear, reaching a crescendo with a dozen remarkable silver looks—shimmering lattices of crystal in columns, slimline cloaks, and veiled gowns.

Giorgio Armani, however, opened with daywear, presenting an impressive series of trousers—harem, palazzo, dhoti, and revamped jodhpurs—paired with zigzag blazers or his signature demi-wrapped blouse. He also played with ikats, incorporating the pattern into bomber jackets, using it as a singular element in others, and even applying it to suede booties.
 
His choice of headgear spoke volumes—Nehru caps, Balinese musician skullcaps, Javanese Blangkon, Thai Khian Hua, and Singaporean Mandarin caps. Eclectic yet cleverly refined, each folkloric design was elevated into an item of true elegance.

For evening, the mood became hyper-refined, with one-midnight blue speckled silk trouser suit embodying perfection. The model wearing it beamed with pride.

What remains remarkable about Armani is his unwavering commitment to his own DNA—especially evident in this collection, which encapsulated all his signature elements: classical proportions, artful draping, feather-light fabrics, diverse Asian influences, and a distinct color palette.

For next fall, he has set the tone with earthy, sun-scorched hues of the South, seamlessly transitioning into Indochinese ikat tones and concluding with a triumphant finale of silvery Hollywood glamor.

Giorgio Armani has always studiously avoided chasing fashion fads—at times, to the point of stubbornness. This season, however, he was in sync with Milan’s biggest trend, treating shearling like exotic fur—seen in his pale gray ribbed pony-skin jerkins and brown-trimmed dusters in the same fabric. Both were exceptional, as was the mock mink Prussian gray hooded coat.

Above all, this collection was about Armani once again intermingling his inspirations, reflected in the beautifully moody soundtrack, which featured the aptly titled “Interwoven” by Deadpanned.

No wonder Armani received yet another standing ovation, taking a slow, measured stroll, arm in arm, with two models. A true Dersu Uzala of Italian fashion, he remains the country’s most celebrated designer—at 90 years old and still going strong.