‘One Night Only’ in Venice

An emotional Giorgio Armani staged his latest ‘One Night Only‘ event in Venice Saturday night with a star-studded front row, despite the current strike in Hollywood, which has seen scores of stars skip the city’s film festival.

Sophia Loren, Jessica Chastain, Benicio Del Toro, Bridgerton star and Armani ambassador Regé-Jean Page, Oscar-winning director Martin McDonagh, and singer Jack Savoretti showed up to witness an Armani Privé haute-couture collection presented inside a giant red brick warehouse in the Arsenale, once used to construct the wooden warships of the famed Venetian fleet.
 
A cast of 65 models walked on a silver and gold harlequin print catwalk attired in a re-edited version of his Armani Privé spring/summer 2023 collection.

The lozenge harlequin shapes appearing all through the show in sequined columns, sherbet-hued tanks, and tunics that aped the colors of the Doge’s Palace. Tulle chokers in lozenge pattern played on the city’s love of grand parties, while in one bravura moment, a famed portrait of Armani reappeared on a mosaic-style top. Plus, the designer broke new ground with superbly draped tulle dresses in mint green and Adriatic blue riffing on Murano glass shades. 
 
The night before, Giorgio hosted a cocktail on his high-tech 65-meter super yacht ‘Main’ – pronounced ‘Myeen – a midnight blue behemoth and the latest expression of Armani’s sleek minimalism. He is so protective of his yacht, all guests had to wear midnight blue slippers on board. Provided by Armani, they instantly became collectors’ items.
 
The mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro even visited, presenting the designer with a Murano glass-winged lion, the symbol of the lagoon city.
 
“I was very touched by the city’s gesture. The statue wasn’t made of gold, but I was still pretty happy,” quipped Armani, in a touching pre-show conference in Italian.
 
In a very real sense, Armani has become far more important than being an iconic fashion designer. The greater Italian public, and indeed an international audience, treat Giorgio like the president of Italian style and taste. His very longevity – he celebrated his 89th birthday in July – his complete independence and his remarkable devotion to creation have made him a hallowed figure. In future years, when people come to write fresh histories of Italy, Armani will be ranked with Galileo, Da Vinci, Michelangelo and Columbus – and deservedly so. Besides his fashion empire, hundreds of stores, Armani Casa skyscrapers and huge perfume business, his aesthetic has influenced the past half century more than any other living designer. In an era of style, he is the Doge of Design.
 

Throughout the weekend, hundreds of fans thronged around the Main, including one 85-year-old woman who beseeched Giorgio to come down to the dockside.  
 
“When I descended from boat and she took a photo with me and this lady became very emotional and began to cry,” said Armani, tearing up himself.
 
Back in January, when he first showed this Venetian-inspired collection in Paris’ haute couture season, Armani decided on doing a One Night Only show in Venice. 
 
“Taking the idea of a harlequin from the intimacy of Paris, into this far greater space and embracing the spirit of the city,” he explained.
 
Saturday’s event marked the seventh One Night Only, following London, Tokyo, Beijing, Rome, Paris and Dubai. Beyoncé performed at the first event; Róisín Murphy sang beautifully in Venice.
 
In the end, the show represented a certain idea of elegance all about precision and attention to detail that perhaps does not exist anymore. 
 
Venice with its baroque churches, Byzantine influences and rich pageants seems far distant from Armani’s understated minimalism and famous non colors, yet the designer insisted it was the perfect setting. 
 
“From my first visit, I have been knocked out by Venice and all colors. It’s a dreamlike paradise, an overpowering city with a sense of decadence. Yet, it imparts a certain a sense of unique elegance,” said the designer.
 
All weekend, Armani seemed to dominate the city, known as La Serenissima – with scores of chic water taxis marked with his ‘GA’ symbol ferrying guests about the lagoon city. Besides his own runway show, Armani’s beauty division is a major sponsor of the film festival, staging a select dinner Friday night inside Guggenheim Museum on the Grand Canal, surely the planet’s most beautiful main-street.
 
On Saturday night, some 1,000 guests in black-tie showed up for Giorgio’s catwalk display, sitting comfortably on pale gold cushion seats. A show that was a homage to Armani’s long love affair with cinema, as one brilliant red-carpet look followed the other.

Armani’s connection to the Venice Film Festival dates back to 1990, and the world premiere of the documentary Made in Milan directed by Martin Scorsese took place. That year, the designer organized another big party in honor of the director at Ca’ Leone on Giudecca.
 
“I was born with cinema, from going with my father and mother to the movies as a young boy. And I have huge admiration for directors who make films that remain in my mind and my sentiments. Last night, I met Benicio Del Toro for the first time when he came on my yacht – and he embraced me like a brother. That was hugely exceptional for me that as he felt knew me through my work,” said Armani, who moored his yacht close to Piazza San Marco.
 
Residual greenhouse gas emissions linked to the event were offset by supporting environmental projects, managed by ‘Sea the Change‘ and ‘Società Agricola Blue Valley’, which aim to preserve the ecological balance of the lagoon and restore its ecosystem and biodiversity.

Armani Group also made donations to support ‘We Are Here Venice’, the non-profit organization that conducts research aimed at protecting the lagoon; financially aided Venetian Heritage, which supports safeguarding Venice’s artistic heritage. And Giorgio contributed to the conservation and restoration of works in the  Giorgio Franchetti Gallery of the city’s famously romantic palazzo Ca’ d’Oro.
 
The sense of late career swansong was apparent at this event, so much so, the famously demanding designer was very demonstrative and poignant addressing a score of Italian editors pre-show.
 
“I’d also like to thank all of you; who have followed me with so much attention and affection,” said Armani, holding back tears.
 
“What does it mean still to be so emotional? It just shows that I am still alive and that my work is still about creating beauty,” he added, before taking a long swing of a bottle of water. 
 
“My usual vodka,” he chuckled, reverting to his typical deadpan wit.