Mood board: Brown is back. Outside the shows, the pavements are populated with figures donning caramel and taupe. Mr Armani is a master of colour, so trust him, then, to switch up autumn’s expected colour palette and present a good proportion of his 70-strong A/W 2019 collection in scintillating scarlet. He referenced the idea of freestyling in his show notes, and his collection touched on evening wear, sports and workwear, in tweeds, scribble velvets, floral jacquards and tartan organza, featuring strapless dresses shimmering paillettes, striped 1980s tailoring and natty puffer jackets.
Scene setting: Last season Mr Armani had guests check in at Linate airport for his show, holding a several thousand-strong catwalk extravaganza in an aircraft hanger emblazoned with an enormous Emporio Armani sign. He even threw in a surprise performance from Robbie Williams. For A/W 2019 the brand returned its stark Tadao Ando-designed HQ. As the show began, the Emporio Armani eagle symbol was illuminated in a tessellation of red laser beams.
Best in show: The opening look – a jacquard mini dress in pretty pink florals, was paired with an excellent white duster coat. Elsewhere a scarlet short tuxedo suit was a youthful take on a wardrobe staple.
Emporio Armani A/W 2019.
Emporio Armani A/W 2019.
Emporio Armani A/W 2019.
Emporio Armani A/W 2019.
-
The Barbican is undergoing a huge revamp. Here’s what we knowThe Barbican Centre is set to close in June 2028 for a year as part of a huge restoration plan to future-proof the brutalist Grade II-listed site
-
A former agricultural building is transformed into a minimal rural home by Bindloss DawesZero-carbon design meets adaptive re-use in the Tractor Shed, a stripped-back house in a country village by Somerset architects Bindloss Dawes
-
The Stuff That Surrounds You: Inside the home of designer Michael AnastassiadesIn The Stuff That Surrounds You, Wallpaper* explores a life through objects. In this episode, we step inside one of the most considered homes we've ever seen, where Anastassiades test drives his own creations
-
At its academy, Prada sets an agenda for the future: ‘Technology cannot replace the ability to work with your hands’Wallpaper* takes a trip to the Prada Group Academy in Scandicci, Tuscany, where Prada CEO Andrea Guerra and CMO Lorenzo Bertelli outline the future of Italian craft on the institution’s 25th anniversary
-
The story behind Gian Paolo Barbieri’s cinematic fashion photography, which helped define the 1990sA new Milan exhibition explores the legacy of Gian Paolo Barbieri, a photographer who would shape a vision of Italian style alongside collaborators Versace, Armani and Valentino
-
The key takeaways from the S/S 2026 shows: freedom, colour and romance define fashion’s new chapterWe unpack the trends and takeaways from the S/S 2026 season, which saw fashion embrace a fresh start with free-spirited collections and a bold exploration of colour and form
-
The independent designers you might have missed from fashion month S/S 2026Amid a tidal wave of big-house debuts, we take you through the independent displays that may have slipped through the cracks – from beautiful imagery to bookshop takeovers, museum displays and moves across the pond
-
From wearable skincare to scented runways, unpacking the unconventional beauty moments of fashion month S/S 2026The S/S 2026 season featured everything from probiotic-lined athleisure to fragranced runways – and those Maison Margiela mouthguards
-
In Milan, the fashion world gathers to say goodbye to Giorgio Armani at his final showOriginally planned to mark the 50th anniversary of Giorgio Armani’s eponymous house, Sunday evening’s runway show at Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera would prove to be the last from the designer, who passed away earlier this month aged 91
-
Dario Vitale makes sexually-charged debut for Versace, inspired by the ‘bold attitude’ of Gianni VersaceSucceeding Donatella Versace, the ex-Miu Miu design director is the first to helm the brand outside of the Versace family. His debut last night in Milan was staged within the opulent rooms of Pinacoteca Ambrosiana
-
The standout shows of Milan Fashion Week S/S 2026This season in Milan, the city is enjoying a wave of creative director debuts, from Demna at Gucci to Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta. Here are the Wallpaper* highlights so far
