News from Italy
The Armani Spring Summer 2025 fashion show, between past and future
Giorgio Armani built the bridge from the past to the future through a tie. He opened the Armani range of “calming, simple and neutral” colours on colourful, flowing ties like a therapy session. Armani once again sat on the throne of the “prince of fashion”, with his show accompanied by elegant satins, specially textured fabrics, and precious embroideries.
In 1635, during the 30 years’ war, French King Louis XIII. There were approximately 160 thousand legionaries and knights fighting for Louis. One group of them was different from the others. These were Croatian soldiers fighting with scarves around their necks. When they left home for the war, their wives, lovers, and mothers took the scarves off their heads, tied them around the necks of the men they loved, and tied a knot. To remind them of themselves and protect their men from evil.
The scarves given to soldiers by Croatian women have transformed into an important accessory in the hands of French fashion designers and have undergone significant changes in the process. This evolution, from a practical war accessory to a fashion statement, is a remarkable testament to the transformative power of fashion. There is a remarkable similarity between the Croatian woman who ties her scarf around the neck of the Croatian man who goes to war and the woman who gives the final shape to her husband’s tie when leaving home in the morning.
Armani, the prince of Fashion, established a deep-rooted and prolonged connection between the past and the future by placing the tie at the centre of his collection. He once again proved Armani enthusiasts right with his brand-specific colour scale on the bridge, which he used as if reminiscent of the Armani brand. Emporio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2025 starts precisely from the look of the vintage photo on the catwalk: a look with pure lines, white, a male suit with a tie designed for a woman. The photo, taken by Tom Munro, dates back to the 2000s and was used as a poster for an exhibition Armani held at the Guggenheim in New York. The choice to return to those years is not accidental. Emporio’s Spring-Summer 2025 collection is a dialogue between past and present. The tie, the starting point for Armani, returns today, showcasing the timeless appeal of Armani’s designs. An always-current style element, Armani uses it to complete the most diverse looks. Ties appear on the catwalk in the most captivating and original shapes. In these outings, we find it under the blazer, on the dress knotted like a scarf, with shiny evening trousers. On trousers or skirts, it enriches sequined tops, is worn on the skin like a scarf or necklace or is also used on the waistline in brilliant and sophisticated dresses.
The collection is precious, made of rhinestones, transparencies, fluid and refined constructions, and intense colours, and the accessories make it even more special. For Prince Giorgio Armani, the dress must follow the wearer, and it is no coincidence that the tone of the garments is soft and natural, underlined by flat shoes. These ballet flats become ankle boots, spacious split or woven bags, or micro, wide-brimmed hats. Soft jackets with natural shoulders, fluid trousers or crotch trousers, blousons, parkas and trench coats alternate with petite dresses with enveloping drapes, long skirts, and very light dresses. The materials with a matt feel – silk, linen and cotton – are blended in a light and natural palette with iridescent pink, sage and light grey surfaces. In contrast, the sober, dark and natural solid colours coexist with watery prints and full and lively notes of blue and fuchsia.
Maxi earrings, woven necklaces, maxi suede bags and satin ankle boots for a play of light contrasts. Among the cult pieces of Emporio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2025 are the boxing boots, which appeared in different looks. Lace-up, versatile and comfortable, is a common direction for many shoes seen on the catwalks of Milan Fashion Week. Looks with an elegantly wrinkled effect also appear on the Emporio Armani catwalk, another trend for next season. Armani, who works on lines as much as on the research of fabrics, has experimented with the creased style on shiny fabrics to accentuate the iridescent effect of the garments. Bright blue and peony pink appear on the catwalk – two shades loved by the designer – ruffles, short jackets, puffed trousers and knickerbockers. The second and final part of the show is a parade of exits in full Armani style. Precious looks focus on the contrast between matte and shiny garments. Transparencies, decorations, and highly recognisable fluid lines. Irresistible, as always, all the accessories, from bags to jewels to hats, never a simple completion of the look but a peculiar note of an impeccable and well-finished style, offering a wide range of styling options that are sure to inspire.
The designer, who turned ninety last July, is the protagonist of the Thursday of September fashion week, this year without the appointment with the new Armani Privé collection, which will be exceptionally presented in New York on October 17th. In Milan, Armani has just opened the renovated Emporio Armani store in Via Manzoni. At the end of the fashion show, he shares the applause with the Emporio line’s CEOs and style office managers: Leo Dell’Orco, Silvana Armani, Nicola Lamorgese and Marco Brunello.
