Giorgio Armani Celebrates 40th Anniversary and Hints at His Proposed Successor

Milan Fashion Week S/S 2022 has become a landmark for many designers. Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada held their first shows in the presence of audience. Meanwhile, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana turned to the most important era of the brand's development - the early 2000s. Giorgio Armani marked the anniversary with a series of events including the men’s and women’s show.

Its story started 40 years ago: at that time, in order to find money to tailor his first collection, the designer sold his favorite car - VW Beetle, and after a while he became one of the most influential people in the industry. Despite the fact that Armani still feels a lot of strength in himself to create new looks, he gradually starts thinking about his successors, and now the main candidate for this position is his niece Roberta Armani, who works in the company both as a designer and a director of communications with celebrities and VIP clients.

For the first time in more than 20 years, Armani hosted a show in his own mansion, showing where his journey began. He dedicated the collection to a fairly simple and understandable topic for everyone - the sun and the sea, which nevertheless evokes the most positive associations and memories of recent travels. He opened with jaunty saddle-stitched suits and windowpane fine wool jackets for women and haute hobo patch-work jackets for men. His jackets were snug and concise in dimpled linen and his fatigue pants were languid and nipped at the ankle. Armani cut flawless chiffon cocktails in his non-colors of cement and lichen; and dazzled with rouched and rolled shantung Grecian goddess dresses in violet and turquoise cut well up the thigh. Breaking new ground, he sent out beautiful silk prints of ancient maps, Asian petals and tattoos.