EVEN BEFORE we lost Giorgio Armani, fascination over the Italian designer’s body of work had been hitting a fever pitch. Somewhat fuelled by the revival of preppy styling codes, but also because the culture had swung away from the tighter fits that my fellow Millennials had favoured for more fluid, looser silhouettes. There aren’t many designers today that don’t have Armani on the mood board, replicating the drape of a jacket and the flow of a trouser. In particular, his collections produced between the late 1970s and mid-1990s. 

The brand has chosen to hero those Golden Years of relaxed tailoring with their second chapter of ARMANI/Archivio, presented during Milan Design Week.

Round two is reviving a selection of Armani’s most memorable garments for production – the first time the house has reproduced archival pieces for sale, shifting the back catalogue from a point of reference to an active part of the business.

The project was introduced in 2025 to mark the 50th anniversary of Giorgio Armani. It first began as an interactive platform, designed to catalogue and organise his earlier collections.

Thirteen looks, spanning 1979 to 1994, have been recreated with close attention to their original construction and fabrication. Each is built around a jacket, which remains the clearest expression of Armani’s approach to tailoring.

A lambskin jacket from spring 1979 is cut with the ease of a cardigan, sitting close to the body without internal structure. A silk bomber from 1983 introduces a higher collar and a softer volume through the sleeve and torso. There is a blouson in a linen-viscose blend, cut with a one-and-a-half-breasted front, which gives it a slightly off-centre balance when worn. A three-piece suit from spring 1990, in a muted greige tone, relies on proportion rather than detail, paired with pleated trousers that sit high on the waist and fall cleanly through the leg.

These garments are supported by the elements that originally defined the full look. Generously cut trousers, often with double pleats, provide volume without excess. Shirts are straightforward, worn open at the collar or with loosely set ties. Silk ties and soft tailoring work together without creating a rigid silhouette. The overall effect is controlled but not strict, which remains the central quality of Armani’s work from this period.

As you take in the collection en masse, what becomes clear is that very little separates them from current production. Armani’s view has been consistent from the beginning, clear and forward thinking. A testament to the cliche that great taste never goes out of style. But it’s true. The fabrics, proportions and finishing needed no adjustment to read as contemporary. That continuity is what the project returns to. The brand frames this as circularity, using the phrase “Past Perfect. Future Ready.” In practice, the approach is simple: reproduce the garments as they were, without altering their structure or intent.

The collection’s presentation is equally contained. The Giorgio Armani boutique on Via Sant’Andrea has been adapted with an installation by Milan-based studio NM3, providing a neutral setting for the collection. A series of invitation-only talks runs alongside it, bringing in figures working in archiving and collecting. The scale is small, and the emphasis is on context rather than event.

The campaign, directed and photographed by Eli Russell Linnetz, follows the same line. The images draw on early Armani campaigns in their composition, focusing on the relationship between garment and wearer. Jackets are worn slightly open, ties left loose and shirts not fully fastened. The adjustments are minor, but they reinforce how the clothes are intended to sit and move.

The collection is available online at armani.com, at selected Giorgio Armani boutiques and a small group of international retailers, including MyTheresa. Each look is supported by material on the Archivio platform, which places it within its original collection and provides further detail on its construction.

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