September 4, 2023 |
On the occasion of the 18th Venice International Film Festival, Giorgio Armani descended upon The Floating City, lighting up its labyrinth of bridges and canals for one night and one night only of pure movie star glam. Staging a Giorgio Armani Privé haute couture catwalk, a delectable cocktail dinatoire on the designer’s 65-metre black super yacht Maìn and an afterparty for 700 guests hosted by Roisìn Murphy who serenaded the crowd clad in a supple Armani sequined number and Mark Ronson, who’s vivacious DJ set had celebrities shaking and shimming, it was an after hours affair to be remembered.
Held in the vast 16th-century space of the Tese delle Nappe at Arsenale – which glimmered and glowed – models stalked down the runway in flimsy sequin dusters, pearly crochet capes and graphic slip gowns with diamond-shaped tulle fascinators and Elizabethan ruffs framing their fresh faces. Their glittering ensembles eclipsed the demure backdrop, shining a light on Armani’s enduring affinity for the movie industry. While some looks were inspired by the city itself, many reprised the harlequin decorative leitmotifs of the haute couture collection he presented in Paris in January. Mr. Armani simply added in a touch more romanticism to his signature slender silhouettes. Stark minimalism softened and high-octane allure fortified. At the end of the show, the 86-year-old maestro of his craft received a well-warranted standing ovation – cheers!
A festival all about the enigma of movie star glamour – also a key pillar of Giorgio Armani’s couture collections – inspiration for the collection came from the silver screen. “The sense of awe, and the palpable glamour and sophistication of movie stars on the big screen, is what I am channelling with this Armani/Privé collection,” Mr. Armani told 10 ahead of the show. “Here, in the setting of the Tese Delle Nappe, in this ancient complex of workshops and shipyards, I will stage a show that not only references the cinematic context of the festival, but also presents pieces inspired by the very essence of Venice itself.”
Then it was party time. One Night Only (ONO) Venezia wrapped up a weekend of fabulous festivities across the Queen of the Adriatic with Murphy and Ronson acting as the sonic architects of the shindig. Aside from those brilliant music makers though, the list of notable guests was extensive, counting Luca Guadagnino, Jessica Chastain, Kerry Washington, Sadie Sink, Barbara Palvin, Louis Garrel, Sydney Sweeney, Alice Pagani, Benicio del Toro, Sophia Loren, Olivia Palermo and many, many more among it.
Debuting in London in 2006, Armani’s ONO event has travelled to major cities like Tokyo, Bejing and Paris and focuses on bringing the Armani universe to different corners of the world; the last edition took place in Dubai in 2021 and invited guests to the mesmerising Burj Khalifa. “One Night Only was born of a desire to stage unique, memorable events in some of the world’s most remarkable cities – cities that have a particular resonance with myself and my label. To date I have staged six: London, Tokyo, Beijing, Rome, New York, Paris and Dubai,” Mr. Armani recalls. “This year I felt like bringing the event home, to Italy, and Venice is such a magical and special place that it suggested itself as the perfect venue in which to stage the first One Night Only since 2021. It also offers a wonderful contrast with Dubai, the last setting of the event – it is as if we are journeying from an ultra-modern city of the future to a historic and storied city of the past. As for the timing, the Venice Film Festival was exactly the occasion that I needed to prompt a One Night Only experience, and so we are going to The Floating City.”
Having had a connection with the Venice Film Festival since 1990 when Mr. Armani travelled there for the world premiere of Made in Milan, the Martin Scorsese documentary about the designer’s work, this, in a lot of ways, was a bit of a full-circle moment for the brand. “Before and since then, Venice has always held a peculiar place in my thoughts and imagination, as it is quite simply an other-worldly place. With its unique atmosphere and extraordinary beauty it lends itself to being filmed,” he explains. “I see this One Night Only as a celebration of my love for cinema from all parts of the world too, and have over the years dressed many actors and directors attending this festival. This year is special, too, as the film industry is facing some challenges, as we know, so I wanted to give a message of support to the industry and the festival with my presence.”
Photography courtesy of Giorgio Armani.
