Giorgio Armani presents his S/S 2025 collection in New York

F/W 2024 was built on the theme of “renewal”. Gina di Bernardo, the face of many of Armani’s campaigns with Aldo Fallai in the 1980s, opened the show while floral motifs spoke of new beginnings.

Giorgio Armani returns to New York for S/S 2025

But 2024 is an unusual year for Mr. Armani. In addition to his 90th birthday, he is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of his eponymous brand. The decision to exhibit in New York aligns with the groundbreaking opening of a 9,000-square-foot flagship store on Madison Avenue that dates back to the Manhattan Modern design era. It is a new home for the Giorgio Armani and Armani/Casa boutiques, as well as the Armani/Ristorante and Giorgio Armani residences.

For the occasion, a capsule collection called “New York Exclusive” was created and is sold there and at Bergdorf Goodman. It references the 1980s power suit, which is synonymous with the American success story of Giorgio Armani. (The brand rose to prominence when Paul Schrader commissioned Mr. Armani to dress Richard Gere for his 1980 neo-noir style American gigolo, ushers in a new style that has been influential for decades.)

Cinema and Hollywood are ever-present sources of inspiration for Mr. Armani. “For me, New York has always been associated with the many films that have deeply shaped my imagination,” he said in a statement yesterday. “The thought of the city in the 1930s and 1940s always inspires me and I evoke this mood in the new Giorgio Armani women’s collection.” Continuing last season’s thoughtful themes, S/S 2025 is titled “In Viaggo”, which translates to “on a journey”. The venue chosen for last night’s show was the Park Avenue Armory. The large hall was reminiscent of a train station and was filled with a curated guest list of 650 celebrities, press representatives and private customers.

“Traveling” shapes the collection in many ways. Firstly, by going through several eras of Giorgio Armani’s codes. (However, the designer emphasized that it was all about “remembering without nostalgia.”)

Also in the dramatic accessories: film noir-style hats tilted over the eyes; headscarves and sunglasses; and large backpacks slung over the shoulders as part of several menswear looks. A few porters with luggage accompanied the opening model and at one point a small curly-haired dog was carried in his arms down the catwalk.

The movement and fluidity of the fabric also evokes a forward movement, be it in puffy jackets, lightweight leather trench coats or silk pantsuits and above-the-knee bloomers reminiscent of a modern boxer brief silhouette. A quintessentially Armani color palette that ranges from signature greige to sand and muted moss green to the deepest midnight blue. Bronze, coral, blush pink and light blue were reserved for evening wear.