Milan exhibition celebrates 20 years of Armani Privé

‘High fashion is vogue when it turns into artwork,’ Giorgio Armani advised Wallpaper* earlier this 12 months, having hosted a triumphant Armani Privé present on the newly inaugurated Palazzo Armani in Paris, an opulent French outpost on Rue François Premier which can home the Privé couture atelier and design studio.

The present, which happened in one of many palazzo’s salon-style higher rooms, had a celebratory air: this 12 months, Armani Privé – the high fashion arm of the Italian vogue empire – celebrates 20 years in enterprise. First proven in Paris in January 2005, Mr Armani selected the identify Privé to evoke ‘rarity and uniqueness… a private aesthetic pleasure’ – a nod to the way in which that, within the custom of high fashion, every garment is made to the precise proportions of a shopper’s physique.

Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture exhibition

‘High fashion permits me to step right into a realm of fascinating fantasy and experimentation,’ says Mr Armani. ‘It’s each a dream and a service – it’s not about creating garments for stunning pictures or memorable editorials however designing for an actual clientele.’

Opening at present, again in his residence metropolis of Milan, Mr Armani continues the festivities with a brand new exhibition at Armani/Silos, a monolithic exhibition area designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, a longtime collaborator. Titled ‘Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture’, it marks the primary time that Mr Armani’s Privé clothes shall be on show in Milan, with a spotlight positioned on the extraordinary handcraft that goes into each bit (the designer is especially identified for wealthy floor embellishment).

The exhibition is curated by Mr Armani himself – an expression of the his seemingly boundless power, whilst he appears forward to his 91st birthday this July (a particular present in New York final 12 months marked his ninetieth 12 months). ‘Pure type and treasured materials,’ describes Mr Armani of the exhibition’s organising themes, which centre round a pursuit of up to date magnificence – a throughline of his type empire, from ready-to-wear to residence furnishings.

As for the way he would describe Armani Privé, he chooses ‘linear, elegant and rareified’ – a part of the explanation for the label’s ubiquity on the pink carpet (stars from Girl Gaga to Demi Moore have worn customized Armani Privé, the latter to gather her current Golden Globe for Greatest Actress in The Substance earlier this 12 months). A strapless robe adorned with pearlescent paillettes and Swarovski crystals, worn by Anne Hathaway to the 2009 Oscars, will characteristic within the exhibition.

In true Armani type, the exhibition is designed for full immersion: a particular soundtrack for the show 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), whereas Bois d’Encens, a scent from the Armani/Privé Haute Couture Perfume line shall be misted into the area (the incense-inspired scent is impressed by recollections of Italian church companies).