Armani's Final Collection Debuts After Designer's Death

Giorgio Armani, who died on Sept. 4 at 91, had planned a 50th‑anniversary show for Sept. 28 at Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera, and the event proceeded as an elegiac tribute he had effectively choreographed. The runway unveiled the last collection he personally worked on, titled “Pantelleria, Milan,” marrying his signature soft tailoring with Mediterranean hues and fluid silhouettes. Hundreds of lanterns and votive candles lit the cloistered courtyard as models walked two‑by‑two to live piano music by Ludovico Einaudi, and guests followed a black‑tie dress code with a portrait T‑shirt invitation. An A‑list turnout, including Richard Gere, Lauren Hutton, Cate Blanchett, Glenn Close, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and Anna Wintour, paid homage in a serene, emotionally charged atmosphere. The show closed with a favored model’s solo walk and the appearance of Armani’s niece Silvana Armani and creative partner Leo Dell’Orco to acknowledge sustained applause, framing the evening as both a retrospective and Armani’s final creative statement.