The tapestry of design, art and fashion is one of many seams. Despite being under the wide canopy of global design, the branches are diverse and many, shifting significantly with cultures, philosophies, eras and geographies to yield unique creative semantics. Accumulating inspirations from his travels to different countries, renowned Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani laid bare a cinematic journey—where places, cultures and design collide—through a juxtaposition of fashion and product design at Milan Design Week 2024. Aptly titled Echi dal mondo, or ‘Echoes from the World,' the new collection took the stage at the Italian brand’s historic headquarters Palazzo Orsini during Salone del Mobile.

Expanding on the inspiration behind the collection, Armani says, "I would have liked to have been a director, and I basically fulfilled my dream: my view of style is comprehensive; it ranges from the rooms to the people that live in them. For this edition of the Salone del Mobile, I imagined a ‘cinematic’ journey to the countries that have always inspired me: places and cultures that spark highly personal reworkings. This is why I wanted the furniture to converse with fashion, and why I wanted to exhibit everything in the Via Borgonuovo location. I like to present myself to the public in the most authentic and direct way possible."

A map of inspirations

The exhibition's layout was conceived as a dialogue between fashion and design. It revealed itself through some of the rooms on the first floor of Palazzo Orsini—each room speaking of one of the geographical areas Armani most often refers to like Europe, Japan, China, Arabia and Morocco. The visitors follow the trail of a golden ribbon to the grand staircase and then to the first floor, following which they are immersed in the rooms of the piano nobile where the fine decor and 18^th century frescoes create the perfect setting for the collection. An abstract map design on the floor alluded to the lands from which the Italian designer draws inspiration for his unique pieces. Amidst the classic austerity of the building, diagonals of the imaginative exhibition design disrupted the rhythm and a mix of mirrors amplified perspectives and ever-new exoticisms.

The cornerstones of this map are reflected in some of the most seminal pieces in the Giorgio Armani Privé collection, delineating an aesthetic that points to distant horizons. As one tread from one room to the next, the furniture design melded with the clothing and the memories of Armani's travels in tandem. Elements from the designer’s private residence—beloved items collected while travelling—punctuated the room, adding a personal quality to the exhibition space. The collection presented experiments with unusual combinations of materials, decoration techniques and fine craftsmanship—expressing complete creative freedom. The technical finesse and craftsmanship, result of production carried out entirely in Italy, is the founding and identifying principle of Armani/Casa.

Traversing geographies and cultures

Moving through the spaces, the visitors witness a series of allusions and nods to different geographies—identifiable by different aesthetic and fashion cultures. Glimpses of Europe were found in the clean lines and the blend of light and transparency in the Trocadero table. Its methacrylate legs and platinum-lacquered wave-textured top conversed harmoniously with the Sofia chairs and the new edition of the Riesling bar cabinet in canneté methacrylate. Like a small treasure chest, the boudoir held the jewel-like gown, sculpturally shaped and embellished with thousands of fine appliqués. Textures and details of Samurai armour—previously encapsulated in a historical collection inspired by Kagemusha, represented by the archive dress on display—were the protagonists in the Virtù cabinet, particularly in its katana-inspired handle and its tatami-effect interiors with customised graphics.

In the hall of mirrors, China’s signature delicate shades of gold came to the fore. The depiction of the country was buttressed by furniture designs such as the Vivace table with sculptural legs like bamboo stalks and a top decorated in rosy-hued silver leaf; the Venus console with a lacquered glass top with gold leaf embellishments on the back, the Virgola bookcase with its hanging shelves, and the Viso sofa design with its curved profile.

The new edition of the Club bar cabinet with its blue leather interior, the pouffe with soft lines and the screen, all upholstered in the same fabric with plant-themed embroidery, evoked the sceneries of Arabian Nights. Armani's panther statues returned in embroidery form on the Verve decorative cushions. Influences from Berber culture were evident in the Morfeo bed in Canaletto walnut wood, upholstered in geometric-patterned velvet, and in the Esagono coffee tables, upholstered in fabric with special tassel appliqués. On the Mirò multifunctional cabinet, the intense blue and iridescent reflections of the lacquer were instead inspired by the garments of the Tuareg, to whom Armani has also dedicated a historical clothing collection.

Corso Venezia

During the design event, the display windows of the Armani/Casa boutique at Corso Venezia 14 revealed compositions in perfect harmony with the rooms of Palazzo Orsini. Inside, new editions of iconic pieces by the brand, such as the interpretation of the Logo lamp design with walnut wood and greige lacquered slatted lampshade, were laid out over three floors. Other new features that made an appearance at the design festival include the greige coloured bookcase made to contain a special edition of the Treccani Encyclopedia, a limited and numbered series whose volumes are signed by Giorgio Armani.

The outdoor collection was also displayed along with the other presentations, complete with new items including a corner set-up, a two-seater sofa, a low table, a two-seater sun lounger and a round table design. Furthermore, a wide repository of decorative items is also vast—with stylised animals in semi-precious stones such as jade and labradorite—completing the ensemble. The Frisbee multi-layered rotating candle featured precious white gold, yellow gold or rose gold foil detail while the sophisticated box of three Pegaso candles, available in white gold, yellow gold and rose gold versions, flaunt a snuffer.

The permanent collection of decorative items proposed an entirely new guise for the board games, contained in leather-clad boxes with an all-over logo pattern in different shades of blue. The games on offer included mikado, dominoes and playing cards, with their multicoloured marbled resin components. The collection also encompassed the Folie valet trays and decorative boxes, made of ice-white technical leather with horn-effect plexiglass details, in addition to the Fumo basket made of the same material.

Stay tuned to STIR's coverage of Milan Design Week 2024 which showcases the best of exhibitions, studios, designers, installations, brands and events to look out for. Explore EuroCucina and all the design districts—Fuorisalone, 5vie Design Week, Isola Design Week, Brera Design District and Porta Venezia Design District.