Armani Privé’s Mantra for Fall 2025 Couture: Paint It Black
Crystals that gleam to the high heavens, exceptional tailoring, and the most luxurious fabrics known to mankind—these are just a few of the key ingredients of an Armani Privé collection. On July 8 in Paris, all that and a little bit more came together for the fall 2025 show, which took place inside the brand’s incredibly rococo Parisian headquarters on Rue François Premier. The star of the evening? The color black, and all the dazzling ways it can be explored and reinvented.
Titled “Noir séduisant,” the collection contained spellbinding looks in every shade of black. There were lush, inky velvets, charcoal gowns speckled with crystals, and raven-hued feather boas. The show opened with a trio of sculptural black trousers paired with brilliant forest green and cobalt blue tops that referenced Monet’s Water Lilies. Pops of royal purple, fuchsia, gold, and silver accented the onyx-hued suiting and gowns, which were all accessorized with sculptural hats straight out of a noir film. One model carried an opera cigarette holder. The final look—a glittering, corseted suit jacket gown—came complete with a theatrical sheer fan covered in sequins.
“For a designer, black is the most classic of colors and, at the same time, the most demanding,” Mr. Armani said of the collection in the show notes. “When you work with black, you cannot afford to make mistakes: every detail must be perfect, because black reveals the very essence of a garment.”
In January 2025, Armani Privé celebrated its 20th anniversary in Paris with a runway show that culminated in a bow from Mr. Armani himself. Fall 2025 marked the first time the designer was not present at the show, based on advice from his doctor. Instead, Mr. Armani approved everything—from the lineup to the makeup and the fittings—remotely via video. Even without his physical presence, the front row was stacked with familiar faces and friends of the house. Marisa Berenson, Angela Bassett, and Ellen von Unwerth were all there, alongside clients wearing Armani Privé looks so heavily embellished (like one dress dripping with pearls), they had an awe-inspiring ASMR quality to them.
“In this collection, I focused on black to enhance its seductive, nocturnal allure in the endless waltz between masculine and feminine,” Mr. Armani added. Those jet-black tones shined brightest in the looks that were most embellished. Think: a cascading net of beadwork over a printed top, a trellis-like cape made of bugle beads or heavily beaded tops and gowns with sheer panels accented by sprays of sequins. For the maximalist, a chunky mohair coat was topped with sprigs of neon pink, green, and purple feathers. And for the minimalist, classics like tweed jackets and velvet pants reigned supreme. Fashion’s famously favorite hue is alive and well in the world of couture.
