Milan Fashion Week to pay tribute to Giorgio Armani while showcasing new talent

The prestigious Milan Fashion Week kicks off on September 23 as the fashion world mourns and honours its late fashion king, Giorgio Armani, who passed away earlier this month at 91 years old.

What was intended to be the brand’s 50th anniversary celebration in the fashion industry has changed into the final tribute dedicated to honouring the life of the iconic designer.

Armani’s final collection will be showcased on Sunday, September 28, at Milan's prestigious Pinacoteca di Brera art museum.

The museum is also hosting from September 24 until January 11 an anniversary exhibition of Armani's top 150 creations, a project long in the making for over five decades, which the designer worked "until the last minute", according to the Armani Group.

“We will celebrate fashion week by paying tribute to one of its founders, Giorgio Armani, as well as to his creative, entrepreneurial and human legacy, of great value in this period of transformation that fashion is going through,“ said the brand’s president, Carlo Capasa, in a press statement.

While this fashion week will be an event that celebrates Italian fashion, it also shines a light on new faces that have joined the luxurious fashion brands, besides showcasing Armani’s latest collection.

During the course of the week, fashion houses such as Prada, Roberto Cavalli, Bottega Veneta, Ferragamo and Dolce & Gabbana will showcase their Spring/Summer 2026 women’s collections, while Gucci and Versace will make their debuts.

Demna Gvasalia, Gucci’s newly appointed creative director, will be making his debut at the Milan Fashion Week after he resigned from his role as Balenciaga’s artistic director early this year.

The brand will not be a part of Milan’s fashion shows schedule; rather, they will host a private presentation of Gvasalia’s new vision of how he interprets the brand on Tuesday evening, September 23.

“I look forward to writing a new chapter of Gucci’s amazing story with Stefano Cantino (Gucci’s chief executive) and the whole team,” he said.

While Dario Vitale, who took over as chief creative officer of Versace after Donatella Versace stepped down in March, will also be debuting his collection.

The luxurious brand, however, will not be doing a usual fashion show; instead, they will host an intimate event on Friday night, September 26, to introduce Vitale’s collection.