The Visionnaire

It’s rare to hear Giorgio Armani speak. This time when he agreed to talk exclusively to us, he told us where it all began for his line Emporio.

- Sophie Abriat

On a black lacquered podium, nearly 200 dresses and gowns were showcased, one after the other for Emporio Armani’s spring/summer 2019 collection. There was an array of day wear and evening wear, sporty and chic, casual yet formal. There were diaphanous parkas, light pleated strapless overalls, ultra-soft summer costumes, fringed sequin dresses in vaporousmesh. A mixed wardrobe emerged with soft shades of slate blue, beige, cloud grey, stitched with bright pink or flashed fluorescents.

That evening, 2,300 people—fashion personalities, journalists, influencers as well as winners of the contest from the opening parade for the general public—attended. It was nothing short of an reaffirmation of aesthetic that has evolved for over 30 years, without ever betraying the original sense. A fashion with fluid and refined lines opened to the world.

A JOURNEY THROUGH TIME

Baptised Emporio Armani Boarding, this event parade was organised at the Linate Airport in Milan, in a large shed that carries to its pediment the badge of the mark. “The airports are symbolic places. They suggest an infinite opening to the world. You take off for discovering and learning, or you come back after having lived countless adventures,” says Giorgio Armani, hardworking and tireless at 84.