When the Brera Art Gallery in Milan proposed celebrating the 50th anniversary of Giorgio Armani’s label with an exhibition alongside Renaissance masterpieces, the designer was hesitant. Armani, who built his reputation on elegance, restraint and timelessness, initially questioned whether his work belonged in such exalted company.
But as he walked through the gallery’s rooms during an early visit, his hesitation began to dissolve. Surrounded by the works of Raphael, Caravaggio, Mantegna and Piero della Francesca, Armani quietly began to imagine which of his creations might resonate with the art without disturbing it.
That delicate interplay is now on view in Giorgio Armani, Milano, for love, which opens this week at the Brera Art Gallery. Featuring 129 looks from the 1980s to the present day, the exhibition unfolds just weeks after Armani’s death on 4 September at the age of 91. Initially conceived as part of Milan Fashion Week, the show has inevitably become a tribute to the man whose name defined an era of global fashion.
“From the start, Armani showed absolute rigour but also humility not common to great fashion figures,’’ said gallery director Angelo Crespi. “He always said that he did not want to enter into close dialogue with great masterpieces. Instead, he wanted a symbiosis.’’
The curatorial approach follows that sentiment. Rather than competing with the paintings, the garments echo their mood, colours and geometry, enhancing rather than intruding upon the experience of the gallery. Chiara Rostagno, the deputy director, recalled how deeply moved Armani was by Andrea Mantegna’s Lamentation over the Dead Christ, insisting that any accompanying fashion pieces should be placed discreetly, not in direct confrontation with the painting.
Subtler echoes abound throughout the show. A midnight blue velvet gown embroidered with Maltese crosses is displayed against the chapel’s frescoed backdrop, its ecclesiastical motif whispering to the setting. Giovanni Bellini’s 1510 Madonna and Child finds a counterpoint in a blue asymmetrical skirt and bodysuit once worn by Juliette Binoche at Cannes in 2016. Opposite Raphael’s The Marriage of the Virgin, three softly lit dresses draw visual parallels with the painter’s mathematical precision.
The exhibition also revisits Armani’s most recognisable pop-cultural moment: the soft-shouldered suit worn by Richard Gere in American Gigolo. Placed among Donato Bramante’s frescoes, the grey suit reflects the architectural lines of the artwork, a reminder of how Armani revolutionised menswear with an effortless silhouette that felt both modern and enduring.
Throughout the galleries, the flow of 1980s pieces into recent designs underscores Armani’s belief in clothes that outlast fleeting trends. The journey concludes with a playful self-reference: a T-shirt bearing the designer’s image displayed opposite Francesco Hayez’s iconic Il Bacio (The Kiss).
“When I walk around, I think he would be super proud,’’ said Anoushka Borghesi, Armani’s global communications director.
Armani has been the subject of major retrospectives before, but this particular exhibition feels intimately connected to his life. The Brera complex not only housed his home and offices but also conferred an honorary title on him through its Academy of Fine Arts in 1993.
Even after his passing, the designer’s commitment to social responsibility continues. Alongside the exhibition, the Armani fashion house confirmed a new educational initiative in partnership with the Catholic charity Caritas, supporting children in six countries across Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. Named Mariu’ after his mother’s affectionate nickname, the project reflects his lifelong grounding in family values.
In a fitting farewell, Armani’s final collection, personally signed and curated, will be unveiled on Sunday within the Brera’s halls, allowing his vision to be celebrated one last time amidst the art that inspired him.
Giorgio Armani, Milano, for love remains on view at the Brera Art Gallery until 11 January, offering a poignant meditation on the dialogue between fashion and art, and on the enduring presence of a designer who shaped both.
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