In the aftermath of Giorgio Armani’s passing, the fashion industry has been eagerly anticipating the direction the iconic Italian brand will take. This week, the highly anticipated debut of Armani’s new men’s wear director, Leo Dell’Orco, provided a glimpse into the label’s post-Armani era.
Presented during Milan Fashion Week, the collection marked the first time the late designer had no direct involvement. While Armani under Armani was renowned for its relaxed, deconstructed suiting and fluid silhouettes in the brand’s signature “greige” palette, Dell’Orco has steered the collection in a new direction, embracing a more vibrant colour scheme.
The everyday Armani uniform of velvet coordinates, brushed cashmere jackets and velvet polo shirts now come in rich jewel-toned hues of amethyst, sapphire and lapis blue. Additionally, the collection features a distinct 1980s sensibility, with leather bombers, aviator-inspired jackets, jacquard knitwear and rakish suiting that blend Withnail-esque style with a touch of A-ha.
This strategic shift taps into the growing demand for vintage Armani, as evidenced by a 192% spike in eBay searches for the brand and a tripling of searches on Vinted following Giorgio’s death.
“It definitely felt like the brand wasn’t trying to reinvent itself after the passing of Mr Armani,” says Zak Maoui, the style director at Gentleman’s Journal. “Dell’Orco left his mark without distorting the lasting memory we have of the iconic brand that Armani built. That said, there was a mood shift and the music was more upbeat… it felt like a celebration of Armani.”
Paul Toner, the deputy editor at 10 Magazine, echoes this sentiment: “After working with Mr Armani for so long, Leo Dell’Orco knows the codes of the house like the back of his hands and this had everything you expect from a great Armani show with some great additions that felt youthful, like those buttery soft leather jackets.”
As Armani’s niece, Silvana, continues her role as women’s wear design director, speculation swirls around the potential appointment of a high-profile creative director to oversee the brand’s future. However, the show notes suggest that Dell’Orco’s vision is set to be a more long-term positioning, with the brand emphasising his 40-year collaboration with the late Giorgio Armani.
With the recent appointment of a new board of directors tasked with activating Giorgio Armani’s posthumous wishes, the future of the group remains uncertain. Armani had instructed his heirs to sell a 15% stake in the business within 18 months and an additional 30% to 54.9% to the same buyer within the next five years, naming potential buyers such as L’Oréal, EssilorLuxottica and LVMH. An announcement on the next steps is yet to be made.
