More than a moment of silence, Giorgio Armani made an impactful statement amid his Fall/Winter 2022 presentation, by conducting the show entirely without music as a sign of solidarity with the country of Ukraine.
With Russia’s recent invasion, Ukraine has been suffering from airstrikes and bombings from Russian forces as threats continue to escalate against Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv. In the Italian fashion designer’s usual sensitive nature, Armani took to social media to explain, “My decision not to use any music in the show was made as a sign of respect towards the people involved in the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine.”
Beginning the show with Armani’s voiceover announcing a similar sentiment at the Via Borgonuovo, a heavy silence filled the room as the show was set to begin. With anti-war protestors stationed outside the venue, and many other runway shows in Milan, demonstrators found fashion week the perfect fit to leverage the elevated media presence in opposition to the Russian invasion.
Friends of the brand were in attendance to witness the somber and poignant display of Armani’s message and craftsmanship. Anne Hathaway sported an ensemble chic enough to make her The Devil Wears Prada character Andy Sachs proud, as she strolled into the show arm-in-arm with Roberta Armani, Giorgio’s niece and actress in her own right. Alexander Skarsgård, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and The Undoing’s Matilda De Angelis also made appearances at the poetic presentation. A reverential lament for those in harm’s way, Armani has proven his immeasurable dignity and poise as a master of his craft.
Anne Hathaway
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
Alexander Skarsgård
Matilda De Angelis
