Opening to the public on Wednesday at the Armani/Silos space in Milan, a dazzling exhibition titled “Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025: Twenty Years of Haute Couture” will run through December 28. This showcase celebrates the milestone of Armani's Privé line, which he launched with a spring 2005 collection presented in Paris. Since then, Armani has showcased his haute couture collections twice a year in the City of Light, except for January 2021, when he hosted a fashion show behind closed doors at Palazzo Orsini, which was then broadcast as part of the Paris couture schedule. This exhibition offers the Milanese audience and the public a unique opportunity to see Armani's haute couture creations up close. Visitors can indulge in the rich embroideries, intricate beaded embellishments, and crafty details while discovering the inspirations behind the stunning garments.
Armani himself curated the setup at the Silos space, featuring more than 150 couture looks arranged across four levels, either spotlighted individually or grouped thematically by colour or inspiration. The exhibition includes garments from the designer’s couture shows, as well as custom-made Privé gowns that have graced international red carpets over the years. Highlights include the Swarovski crystal mesh gown worn by Cate Blanchett at the 2007 Academy Awards, the strapless sculptural dress chosen by Jennifer Lopez in 2010, the floral-embroidered long-sleeve gown that Nicole Kidman wore at the SAG Awards in 2021, and the champagne silk gown worn by Demi Moore when she won her first Golden Globe earlier this year.
Armani states, “In my haute couture collections, I express my vision of style and elegance through the art of craftsmanship and savoir-faire. It is here that I am free to do so without limits. Twenty years of Giorgio Armani Privé have been an extraordinary, liberating journey. Now, I want to share it with a wider audience, inviting them into this dream of mine—a dream of dresses woven from imagination and grace. This exhibition gives a very special world new meaning.” The showcase also features accessories such as bags, shoes, jewellery, and headpieces, displayed throughout the exhibition and in a dedicated section on the top level. This area includes a screening of backstage footage from the Armani Privé shows. The sensory experience of the exhibition is enhanced by dim lighting, the lingering scent of the high-end fragrance Bois d’Encens, and an original soundtrack created specifically for the show by the music trio L’Antidote, featuring Redi Hasa, Rami Khalifé, and Bijan Chemirani. The Armani Silos space in Milan, located opposite Armani’s theatre, was inaugurated in 2015 with a retrospective of the designer's work and has since hosted several exhibitions.
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