Giorgio Armani opens his home to design

A house. Better yet, a palace. His own. This is how Giorgio Armani decided to kindly snub the Milan design week, which is always looking for new and spectacular locations where to present its novelties. Instead, the designer retraces his history and opens a historic and, for him, meaningful venue to design visitors. He does so in a special year for the Armani/Casa division, as it debuts with an outdoor collection, which finds an ideal expressive space here. Four light architectural structures which recall refined gazebos with gathered curtains present the complete series of solid teak furniture: the Terence sofa and armchair with footrest, the Timothy sunbed, the Thomas table, the Turner and Terry side tables, and the Thelma folding chair. The layout describes a path that from the hidden garden, which is accessible from the porticoed 17th-century courtyard, go through the frescoed rooms that are usually reserved for the Haute Couture Armani Privé line, where the brand’s new and revised iconic furnishings are unveiled.

This year you open the doors of Palazzo Orsini, a way to welcome everyone into your home. How does it feel and what motivations prompted this choice?

I am very happy to open to visitors Palazzo Orsini, the pulsing center of my creativity, and show one of the most significant places for me. It is a choice that confirms the importance of dialogue with the public and the city of Milan.

This year’s presentation combines even more the theme of fashion, especially couture, with design for a unique vision of the Armani world. What do the two worlds have in common?

They are united by my vision, which can be declined differently depending on the field, but which at root is essential, timeless, and precious in materials and refined in craftsmanship.

Your collections always draw inspiration from nature and art. In this one, it seems you have condensed all the geography in the world. Is that so?

Yes, it is true. This collection combines references and inspirations to the worlds that have always fascinated me. You can clearly see my love for the East, and Japan, for art deco, for the life en plein air, but everything is filtered through the lens of my sensibility and style, which tends towards synthesis and subtraction.

It is a debut and a greater continuity between indoor and outdoor living. How is the enjoyment of domestic environments changing and what do you want to tell with this new chapter?

In recent years, the domestic space has been rediscovered in all its aspects. Personally, after proposing a kitchen system that fits without barriers into the living area, I thought of continuing with consistency from veranda furniture to outdoor garden furniture. I interpreted a currently widespread trend in my own way, with essential lines, neutral colors, and a focus on craftmanship. The furniture in the outdoor collection, which includes sofas, armchairs, folding chairs, sunbeds, tables, and side tables, has solid and rounded volumes. Each element is made of teak wood with a woven pattern that resembles thick fabric weaves. However, this detail is achieved by engraving, a painstaking process, and it is one of the distinctive elements that makes me proud of the new launch.

Some icons are revised with new finishes and fabrics. What is the value of memory and how important is to always look forward?

Memory is as important as looking forward, at least. With my work, I aspire to the essential, to timeless style, as opposed to temporary trends. Memory is awareness, and looking forward is the courage to face new challenges.

Are there any upcoming projects in real estate or interior design? Is the Armani universe set to grow in these sectors as well?

There are residential project and the store in New York, the construction of which is expected to be completed by 2024 and which will be the new Armani jewel on Madison Avenue. This is a project I care a lot about and have been working on with my team for the past two years. the Armani hotel in Diriyah, a town near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is also under construction in partnership with Dgda-Diriyah gate development authority. It will open in 2026 harmoniously integrating an expression of the Armani aesthetic with the distinctive local architectural elements. (All rights reserved)