VENICE – While running the danger of swerving into cliché-territory, there’s no other solution to describe how Giorgio Armani takes on his projects – putting his heart and soul into them. A lot in order that the designer showed deep emotions on the Arsenale location ahead of his Privé show on Saturday evening here as a part of his latest One Night Only event.

“It’s difficult to carry back the tears, once you see young and old people of all different walks of life come as much as me, asking for a photograph, and equally moved,” said Armani, visibly emotional, citing an episode that took place the evening before when the designer held a cocktail aboard his Maìn yacht, which drew several celebrities, from Kerry Washington and Sydney Sweeney to Regé-Jean Page.

Anchored not removed from the town’s famed San Marco square, the stunning and expansive yacht caught the eye of many walking by and “an 85-year-old woman who could have never worn an Armani dress in her life was attempting to get a photograph of me from below, so I made a decision to walk down and pose for a selfie,” said the designer, who turned 89 in July. “She was in tears, embracing me, and this repays me of all of the efforts I actually have put into my job,” he said, thanking the press for supporting him through the years.

He attributed his “authenticity, honesty and frankness” to this outpouring of affection, elements that “bring up hidden feelings” in people.

Consistency has also at all times characterised Armani and, asked on the sidelines of the event what he considered the increasing  polarization in fashion, as luxury groups proceed to grow through M&A, versus his long-defended independence, he responded firmly: “There are two paths – big foreign groups have decided that they need all the pieces. I actually have not, I only want what’s mine – and that’s it.”

His drive and determination have contributed to the expansion of his namesake company, which closed 2022 with revenues of two.35 billion euros, up 16.5 percent compared with the previous yr.

Sales including licenses exceeded 4.5 billion euros, while retail sales turnover are estimated to exceed 6.5 billion euros.

The Venice One Night Only event, which has thus far hit London, Tokyo, Beijing, Rome, Latest York, Paris and Dubai, coincided with the Venice Film Festival, and while the list of actors that took within the show, including those that attended the cocktail, ran long — from Armani’s longtime friend Sophia Loren; Jessica Chastain; Benicio Del Toro; Lili Reinhart and Sadie Sink to directors Ang Lee and Luca Guadagnino, to call a couple of — can be quoted or released comments attributable to the continued actors’ and writers’ strikes within the U.S.

The five hundred or so guests on the storied complex of former shipyards and armories attended a repeat of the spring 2023 Armani Privé couture show previously unveiled in January in Paris. Armani admitted that shortly after that first show he began to consider presenting the gathering’s colourful, harlequin-inspired motifs in Venice as he saw it fitting with the placement and he wanted it “to live in a unique context.” He added or modified some details – a Pierrot-like collar here and dainty hexagon-shaped hair accessories there, “to be in sync with the spirit of the town.” Of note, after the hours-long cocktail the evening before, while his guests were at a dinner, Armani, ever the perfectionist, was on the Arsenale trying out final details – including the evening light.

Armani has often defended his right to explore recent territory out of his comfort zone, lamenting what he perceives as a general inattention to his more eccentric side, as he did when he staged the “Eccentrico” exhibition in Milan in 2012.

Here, again, the designer said he allowed himself “to have some fun” and overturn the perception that he’s rigorous. “I had a good time,” he said of putting together the gathering. “There could also be hats that not everyone will like, nevertheless it’s the atmosphere that interests me. I put a number of attention and time on the small print and I ask you to take a look at this show as if it were a coup de foudre [an unexpected love at first sight].”

He also explained his interest within the diamond motifs, standing out in several art works, including, famously, by Picasso.

Repeating a previous show can be in step with Armani’s alternative to limit the offering of latest collections, responding to the present moment, and aligning clothes in stores to the seasons.

Armani said he had not returned to Venice for about 15 years and praised the “exceptional location” of the show and “the extraordinary city,” which has inspired so many authors. As he did in previous One Night Only events, the designer organized special morning visits to special and exclusive locations in Venice, akin to the music conservatory to see an Antonio Vivaldi original manuscript or meeting the one remaining violin-maker in the town.

The gathering, which ranged from pretty little jackets with lozenge shapes in relief and sequined cardigans to evening gowns exquisitely beaded and embroidered, reflecting the incredible craftsmanship behind the designs, were sure red-carpet hits and pointed to Armani’s lifelong connection to movies and his company’s links to Hollywood.

This can be a return to Venice for Armani, reaffirming his reference to the film festival, which began in 1990 with the world premiere of the documentary “Made in Milan” directed by Martin Scorsese, during which the designer discussed his creative process, his family and the role of the Italian city in his work. He admitted he remembers his early red carpet walks fondly, when “all the pieces was so promising.”

He said he recently re-watched the 1980 hit “American Gigolo.” “I enjoyed seeing Richard Gere place my designs on his bed,” he said simply of the garments he provided for the film, which contributed to turning him right into a household name.

“My parents loved the films and this was passed on to me. I actually have at all times envied directors creating movies that continue to exist in time, or the actors that bring so many feelings to life,” he said.

The designer once more renewed the partnership of Armani Beauty because the Essential Sponsor of the Festival.

The One Night Only Venice 2023 event has been specifically designed to have minimum environmental impact, in compliance with ISO 20121.

The Armani Group will offset all residual greenhouse gas emissions linked to the event by supporting environmental projects that aim to preserve the ecological equilibrium of the Venetian Lagoon and restore its ecosystem and biodiversity.