MILAN, Italy — Mr. Armani was a big talent who preferred small gestures. Emporio Armani’s Spring/ Summer 2026 ready-to-wear collection put timeless classics in sharp relief, ditching the dashes of frivolousness paraded elsewhere across the world.
Sounding a lot like Alessandro Sartori, another smart menswear designer who’s made sharp tailoring a defining aspect of his work, Emporio called its new offering ‘recurrences.’ This time, the SS26 show was an exercise in poise and lightness, aiming to capture the impulse of a dialogue between memory and the quotidian aspects of life, translating into wear-anywhere numbers that spoke a dusk-till-dawn creative vernacular.
The line’s focus, as always, was on cut. Trousers were looser through the hips and fuller in the legs than ever before, and blazers had a more masculine swagger – thanks to the double-breasted lapels, bold shoulders, and buttoned collars. On the other hand, a few backless gilets—in shades of navy, ivory, and turquoise—were all quite femme.
The collection latched onto soft prints, emblazoned atop soft silhouettes, and was juxtaposed, in turn, by heavy pockets and hard fastenings on pants. Pleated skirts matched suits and structured jackets, accessorised by bows on blouses, as well as cinched waistlines and roomy armholes. But the real news for this season was prints—in fact, a contemporary woman’s wardrobe isn’t complete without them, after all.
The Armani lines use them with some frequency on the runway, and so in a season that continues to strip back all manner of fuss and injects elements of practicality ‘to heighten a sense of ease,’ the Emporio Armani collection started off with a subtle handful of them. We can already picture the countless shades of blue taking root in the front rows next season.
Another appealing, moving aspect of this presentation: models clapping as they exited for the finale, and no final bow took place to honour the late designer, who passed away earlier this month. Armani was no maximalist, nor did he ever adopt a showy demeanour on any occasion, but being an innovator of fashion’s lexicon through the centuries, he might’ve appreciated this show’s warmth.
by Chidozie Obasi