Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Giorgio Armani, but if ever proof were needed that the timeless label is still going strong, Mr. Armani’s takeover of New York last night was just that. Supermodels, singers and Hollywood’s next gen talent turned out to toast the 90-year-old designer as he showed his SS25 collection – many of them wearing vintage Armani. The Perfect Couple’s Meghann Fahy had dipped into the archive to find her gold sequin gown (‘so it feels even more special’), as had AnnaSophia Robb whose strapless, sheer black gown may have dated from 2016 but fitted the night’s black-tie theme perfectly.
The first time Mr. Armani has shown a mainline collection outside of Milan, he appeared visibly moved to be in The Big Apple. On paper, the event’s location had been chosen to coincide with the reopening of the Armani boutique on Madison Avenue. Four years in the making, alongside the floors showcasing womenswear and menswear, the impressive 12-storey building also features an Armani restaurant and 10 luxury apartments – decked out in Casa, the luxury brand’s homeware line, for those who want to live like Mr Armani, not just dress like him. And there are plenty who do. The apartments might have started at $21.5m but they’re all sold, other than the penthouse. That one Mr. Armani’s keeping for himself.
But showing in New York was about more than just business. Mr. Armani has long said that it was 1980s New Yorkers who first embraced the brand. When Richard Gere wore Armani tailoring throughout the 1980 blockbuster movie American Gigolo, it made the label a household name in the US. As the economy boomed – all Wall Street and Working Girl - an Armani suit became a status symbol for both men and women looking to add a touch of masculine authority to their wardrobe.
The latest SS25 collection might have been light on trouser suits, but it was also inspired by a woman who’d come to New York to fulfil her dreams. Mr. Armani had turned Park Avenue Armoury into a train station, steam engines projected onto giant screens around the venue; 600 guests flown in from around the world perched on plush red seats arranged like a waiting room. When the first model emerged on the catwalk, as if charging down the platform, she was trailed by a porter carrying her suitcases.
This was a woman on a journey, with the wardrobe to see her through every foreseeable occasion. It started with soft tailoring – jackets that looked polished but easy to wear and silk trenches that billowed beautifully – in so-called ‘urban greys’ and gritty blues. Then came the after-dark attire: embellished gowns, full skirts and ornate bolero jackets.
‘Thinking of the city in the ‘30s and ‘40s never ceases to inspire me and I evoke that mood in the new Giorgio Armani women's collection,’ the designer said of being inspired by The Big Apple. ‘It is remembering without nostalgia, though. More vital and frenetic than ever, New York continues to look ahead, ever launching new models of life, style and socialising.’
And after a standing ovation, Mr. Armani’s guests did just that – dancing in their ball gowns until the early hours. Fahy caught up with Liev Schreiber, her co-star from The Perfect Couple. Penn Badgley, one of the hot millennial man-crushes of the moment, was spotted dancing with his wife to Chaka Khan. James Norton and Amanda Seyfried took selfies together.
Much of the talk at the after-party was of Mr. Armani’s remarks a few days ago to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera about the fact that he is succession planning. ‘I can still give myself two or three years as head of the company. Not more, it would be negative,’ he said. Whilst staging a two-day takeover of New York doesn’t read like your standard retirement plan, if he does decide to hand over the reins the company is in good hands.
This year, Lyst reported that searches for Giorgio Armani’s La Prima shoulder bags have soared by 1300% as new customers buy into the brand’s signature and understated style. At the same time, vintage Armani is booming on resale sites such as Vestaire and Depop. So, even us mere mortals can dip into the Giorgio Armani archives – safe in the knowledge it will stand the test of time.