Milan exhibition celebrates 20 years of Armani Privé: ‘Haute couture is fashion when it becomes art’

‘Haute couture is fashion when it becomes art,’ Giorgio Armani told Wallpaper* earlier this year, having hosted a triumphant Armani Privé show at the newly inaugurated Palazzo Armani in Paris, an opulent French outpost on Rue François Premier which will house the Privé couture atelier and design studio.

The show, which took place in one of the palazzo’s salon-style upper rooms, had a celebratory air: this year, Armani Privé – the haute couture arm of the Italian fashion empire – celebrates 20 years in business. First shown in Paris in January 2005, Mr Armani chose the name Privé to evoke ‘rarity and uniqueness... a personal aesthetic pleasure’ – a nod to the way that, in the tradition of haute couture, each garment is made to the exact proportions of a client’s body.

Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture exhibition

‘Haute couture allows me to step into a realm of captivating fantasy and experimentation,’ says Mr Armani. ‘It is both a dream and a service – it’s not about creating clothes for beautiful photos or memorable editorials but designing for a real clientele.’

Opening today, back in his home city of Milan, Mr Armani continues the festivities with a new exhibition at Armani/Silos, a monolithic exhibition space designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, a longtime collaborator. Titled ‘Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture’, it marks the first time that Mr Armani’s Privé garments will be on display in Milan, with a focus placed on the extraordinary handcraft that goes into each piece (the designer is particularly known for rich surface embellishment).

The exhibition is curated by Mr Armani himself – an expression of the his seemingly boundless energy, even as he looks ahead to his 91st birthday this July (a special show in New York last year marked his 90th year). ‘Pure form and precious fabrics,’ describes Mr Armani of the exhibition’s organising themes, which centre around a pursuit of contemporary beauty – a throughline of his style empire, from ready-to-wear to home furnishings.

As for how he would describe Armani Privé, he chooses ‘linear, elegant and rareified’ – part of the reason for the label’s ubiquity on the red carpet (stars from Lady Gaga to Demi Moore have worn custom Armani Privé, the latter to collect her recent Golden Globe for Best Actress in The Substance earlier this year). A strapless gown adorned with pearlescent paillettes and Swarovski crystals, worn by Anne Hathaway to the 2009 Oscars, will feature in the exhibition.

In true Armani style, the exhibition is designed for full immersion: a special soundtrack for the display has been created by L’Antidote (a trio of experimental musicians comprising Redi Hasa, Rami Khalifé and Bijan Chemirani, with influences from Albania, Lebanon and Iran), while Bois d’Encens, a scent from the Armani/Privé Haute Couture Fragrance line will be misted into the space (the incense-inspired scent is inspired by memories of Italian church services).

‘20 years of Giorgio Armani Privé have been an extraordinary, liberating journey,’ says Mr Armani. ‘Now, I want to share it with a wider audience, inviting them into this dream of mine, a dream of dresses woven from imagination and grace. A very special world that takes on new meaning in this exhibition.’

Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture runs from today (21 May) to 28 December 2025.

armani.com