We live in a moment where fashion brands all aim to become part of culture to secure their future. LVMH just signed up for producing entertainment content by creating 22 Montaigne, is opening hotels like the Cheval Blanc in Paris while Gucci’s latest collection was heavily criticized because it lacks an overall storytelling arc. Mister Armani has been in the brand story telling game all along. A few firsts: He brought Nobu to Milan which is still buzzing every night, he opened a flower and chocolate shop, he was the first to dress football players including the current Scudetto winner Napoli with EA7, he is the benchmark for beauty licenses as his billion-dollar business with L’Oréal is testament of. He even owns a night club with Armani Privé which is still open and attracting the cool kids in Milan. Armani understood very early on that a wealthy clientele seeks an experience as much as a destination. And he was the first to open an Armani hotel in the Burj Khalifa, which is currently the highest building in the world. Plus, he has converted the Armani/Silos into a contemporary photography museum which currently hosts an Aldo Fallai retrospective (read here) of decades of advertising work he has realized with the photographer. Now this brings us to his great Giorgio Armani show from yesterday which had a nature and renewal theme with its beautiful florals and was opened by model Gina di Bernardo who is the star of the Armani/Silos Fallai exhibition. Talking about bringing it all together, connecting different layers of his fashion company to create a universe which is more than the sum of its parts.
Gina di Bernardo opening for Giorgio Armani F/W 2024
Florals for Giorgio Armani F/W 2024
Where is the hemline?
While hemlines are going up and up, Armani sticks to his own groove and offered a plethora of pants in which his front two-pocket cargo version was a standout plus only he can make jodhpurs which look elegant. Combined with floral covered sock-like ankle boots they gave a beautiful fresh allure. Most of his evening dresses and skirts were floor-sweeping.
Two-pocket cargo pants
Elegant jodhpurs
Floor-sweeping silhouettes
Dare we say?
Imagined with a lineup of all new faces from the world of modeling, this inventive floral layering juxtaposed with black and navy velvets and silks was the perfect combination of quiet luxury and notice me fashion.
Floral layering
Black and navy velvets
And what about the flowers?
When asked backstage after the second show while he was busy having his photo taken with the guys who sweep the floor no less to describe what type of flower he used as inspiration he smiled and said: “Some of them are real, most of them my fantasy.”
Mr. Armani backstage with the floor sweepers after presenting his F/W 2024 collection for Giorgio Armani
