For the house’s first collection since its legendary founder’s passing, Armani’s lifelong friend Leo Dell’Orco crafted a lineup that honors the maestro’s legacy and points towards an “iridescent” future.
Giorgio Armani, on his passing last September, left a legacy that revolutionized fashion. Known as “King Giorgio,” the Italian designer transformed the rigid, formal, and flashy style of the ‘70s into a more fluid, comfortable, and quietly confident aesthetic that transcends time.
Armani’s masterful creation of this relaxed elegance defined power dressing and quiet luxury forever. He lived by the philosophy that clothes should empower the wearer rather than overpower them.
For the house’s first collection since its legendary founder’s passing, Leo Dell’Orco—Armani’s lifelong friend and head of menswear—crafted a lineup that honors his legacy with a modern twist. Marking a poignant new era for the house, Dell’Orco’s debut collection emphasized continuity, comfort, and a new sense of energy still driven by Armani’s belief that slow fashion is life.
It draws from the concept of “cangiante,” or “iridescence,” wherein objects emit a glowing rainbow-like effect based on the light source or a person’s viewing angle. This acted as a metaphor for the 50-year-old label that is in constant transformation while remaining anchored in its roots.
The result was an effortlessly sophisticated line that showcased the house’s visual codes from the 1980s and 1990s, while offering a look at what the future holds for the house.
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In true Armani fashion, the collection was unveiled in the intimate setting of Armani’s private theater on Via Borgonuovo 21 during Milan Fashion Week. The show had no elaborate set design except for an illuminated runway inspired by one of his shows in 1984.
It featured an expansive collection of 136 looks featuring soft and roomy tailoring, plush fabrics, and cozy casualwear, which are all quintessentially Armani. It introduced a fresh and breezy color story with the first look, featuring a laden green top sheeted with a textured jacket and gray trousers. Lustrous jewels in soothing periwinkle and delicate purple brought subtle playfulness to textures like velvet, cashmere, and chenille.
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Dell’Orco gave special merit to the heritage in suited silhouettes that maintained the house’s iconic “soft power” comfort. Some were sleek and sophisticated, while others were reinvented by the designer as oversized. Combined with his bolder use of colors, the lineup reflected Dell’Orco’s desire to pay homage to Armani’s timeless aesthetic while resonating with today’s men who value self-expression and eccentricity.
The designer brought youthful zest in meaty bomber jackets, loose sweaters with dropped shoulders, big full-legged pants, as well as the washed silks, gray wool, and corduroy that flowed like jersey.
The house’s signature “griege” palette—a term its legendary founder coined for their artful mix of gray and beige—kept the collection rooted in tradition but, at the same time, rejuvenated for the future, with its mix of shimmery, silky tones like amethyst purple, olden green, and lapis blue.
Dell’Orco collaborated with ALANUI in producing fringed, striped wrap cardigans for both men and women. The designer closed the show with matching looks for men and women in keeping with Armani’s lifelong goal to revolutionize fashion both for men and women worldwide.
Watch the Giorgio Armani Fall 2026 show below.
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