To celebrate 50 years in business, Giorgio Armani is opening up his extraordinary archive to everybody

For Giorgio Armani, a true titan of Italian style, the past two years have been scattered with landmarks. On 11 July 2024, he celebrated his 90th birthday; the following October, he hosted a celebratory birthday show in New York City; and in January 2025, he marked 20 years of Armani Privé, the haute couture arm of the house, in Paris (an Armani Privé exhibition at the Tadao Ando-designed Armani/Silos in Milan followed, a space which – serendipitously – celebrates its own ten-year anniversary, having been inaugurated in 2015).

This month, Mr Armani celebrates yet another milestone: 50 years of Giorgio Armani, the eponymous label that would mark the beginning of the designer’s fashion empire, and continues to posit the same vision of soft, unrestrained elegance through its seasonal runway shows in Milan. ‘Consistency to me is a virtue, not least because it allows one to grow and change within a definite frame,’ he said when he guest-edited the October 2022 issue of Wallpaper*. ‘That, for me, is way more effective than flipping ideas every six months. Something is reassuring and even strengthening to sticking to one’s guns.’

Armani/Archivio: Giorgio Armani opens up his archive

While celebrations are expected to largely circulate around the house’s upcoming S/S 2026 show in Milan next month – an exhibition of 150 looks at the Pinacoteca di Brera and a special runway show will take place on the closing Sunday of Milan Fashion Week – today it has been announced that Mr Armani is opening the doors to his archive via an extensive digital project. Unveiled at a dinner at the Venice Film Festival last night – its red carpet having seen many an Armani gown over the years – Armani/Archivio is a digital platform that will allow users to navigate some of his most memorable designs, wherever they are in the world.

The result of meticulous digitisation, the project – one which remains rare in fashion, with houses’ archives most often kept under wraps – began at the physical storage space outside of Milan, where in recent years archivists have not only been organising the existing collection, but hunting down and purchasing pieces which were missing from the original archive. On the Armani/Archivio site (which officially launches tomorrow, 30 August), looks have been scanned and photographed, while related ephemera – including sketches and advertising campaigns – feature alongside.

To begin, visitors to the digital Armani/Archivio will be able to discover 57 looks – largely focusing on red-carpet styles – with further sections of the archive expected to be revealed in the coming months (Armani staff already have access to the full collection). ‘A focus on circularity and [a] dialogue between past and present’ is how the house describes the project, with looks ‘carefully preserved and chosen for their timeless relevance, re-proposed to the public so that they can continue to tell their story and meet new generations of enthusiasts.’ (The launch feels timely – in 2024, searches for vintage Armani rose 20 per cent on Depop and 95 per cent on eBay, showing a hunger for the designer’s past collections.)

For those who prefer a more physical experience – or, indeed, the opportunity to shop – Mr Armani is also reissuing a number of classic styles from the archive for sale at seven Giorgio Armani boutiques worldwide. Beginning with Milan, Paris and London, the archival pieces will then move to New York and Los Angeles (the last coinciding with the Academy Museum Gala on 18 October) before finally landing in Tokyo and Beijing. Meanwhile, displays at La Rinascente department store in Milan will celebrate the Armani/Archivio project during Milan Fashion Week.

Visit the archive from tomorrow, 30 August 2025, at armani.com.