Giorgio Armani returns to live fashion shows
Italian fashion house Armani announced May 20 that it will return to having live audiences after a year of virtual fashion shows.
In an interview with WWD, Giorgio Armani said, “I think the time has come to return to show in front of a live public because I think fashion only in a virtual format has no future. A fashion show is a tool we cannot do without because of its format, energy and effectiveness.
“It’s important to restore the physical shows and they can then be translated in digital experiences for a global audience. For my part, the goal is once again to send a positive signal of restart and support for Milan, my city, which has long been an undisputed capital of fashion.”
The live shows will start with Armani’s spring-summer men’s collection set for June 21 in Milan. On July 6, the Giorgio Armani Prive fashion show will be held at the Italian Embassy during the Paris Fashion Show for Haute Couture.
The fashion house also announced that the return to live attendance “has been decided following the current general improvement in public health with relation to the pandemic,” adding that plans could still change dependin on health protocols and the COVID-19 infecion rates.
“The organization of the shows will comply with the distance and safety rules required by law and the actual holding of the events, in any case, will be conditional to the evolution of the pandemic,” the group said.
Armani was the first to cancel live-audience shows in February 2020 as Italy closed businesses and locked down the country.
Banner photos: Milan Fashion Week 2017 file photos