‘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
Some of the creations on show at the exhibition, like Anne Hathaway’s 2009 Oscars gown (left)
‘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).
Giorgio Armani at work on the haute couture line
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.
A focus on embellishment runs throughout 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.
-
Inside AP House in Manchester, as Audemars Piguet heads northAudemars Piguet has opened its second AP House in the UK, on Manchester’s smart King Street, and the immersive showroom’s design is full of nods to the city
-
11 things that caught our eye at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025The Wallpaper* team bring you highlights from London’s Clerkenwell Design Week (20-22 May) – from public installations to product launches and a biscuit bar
-
Aberto’s first international show celebrates Brazilian design in Paris at a modernist gemBrazilian exhibition platform Aberto takes over modernist properties for art and design showcases. As it brings its concept to Europe, Wallpaper* is at Maison La Roche to explore South American icons
-
Our Legacy’s Emporio Armani collaboration reworks the archive: ‘These fabrics carry history’The second chapter of Our Legacy Work Shop Emporio Armani sees the Swedish brand reimagine archival Emporio styles and fabrics, including womenswear for the first time
-
The best fashion moments at Milan Design Week 2025Scarlett Conlon discovers the finest fashion moments at Salone del Mobile and Milan Design Week 2025, from Loewe’s artist-designed teapots to The Row’s first home collection
-
Aesop’s ‘The Second Skin’ is a sensory sanctuary during Salone del Mobile 2025Aesop unveils ‘The Second Skin’ in Milan, a multisensory ‘exploration of dermis and design’ that marks the arrival of the brand’s Eleos Aromatique body cleanser and lotion
-
Acqua di Parma says a sun-kissed ‘Buongiorno’ to Milan Design Week 2025At its Milan store, Acqua di Parma is co-distillating exuberant ceramics and olfactory pleasure in an installation that honours its latest fragrance
-
Valextra’s collaboration with Zaven is a ‘travelling sculpture’ with its own suitcaseRevealed at Milan Design Week 2025, Valextra’s new project with Venice-based creative agency Zaven is inspired by Bruno Munari’s ‘Travel Sculptures’ and unexpected discoveries in the Italian leather brand’s archive
-
Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli on curating Gucci Bamboo Encounters at Fuorisalone: ‘We didn’t want to produce commodities’Celebrating one of Gucci’s foundational materials, ‘Bamboo Encounters’ sees Ippolito Pestellini Laparelli of 2050+ bring together seven international artists and designers to explore bamboo through a series of ‘research projects’ at Milan’s Chiostri di San Simpliciano
-
Sunnei’s shape-shifting concept store and café takes up residence in the brand’s Milan HQ‘It allows visitors to shop just steps away from the people who designed the pieces,’ say Sunnei founders Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo of the store, which features a Tommaso Vergano and Anastasia Posca-curated café – perfect for a Milan Design Week pitstop
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2025 highlights: Prada to Giorgio ArmaniWallpaper* picks the best of Milan Fashion Week, from Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ portrait of ‘raw glamour’ to Giorgio Armani’s return to his roots
