A New Book About Giorgio Armani Revisits the Jacket That Changed Fashion
A new book about Giorgio Armani is not a retrospective. It is a working archive.
This week, Giorgio Armani is introducing the second chapter of the Armani/Archivio project, which includes for the first time thirteen men’s and women’s looks from the house’s iconic collections spanning 1979 to 1994.
Launched in 2025 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Giorgio Armani’s founding, ARMANI/Archivio began as a digital platform collecting the brand’s historic collections. The second chapter, presented during Milan Design Week 2026 and published April 21, 2026, turns the archive into something you can touch, wear and read.
Past Perfect. Future Ready.
The concept is simple and powerful. Operating under the concept of ‘Past Perfect. Future Ready’, the selection revolves around the jacket, the garment which earned Giorgio Armani international acclaim.
Thirteen looks. All faithfully reproduced. From 1979 black lambskin blazer with natural shoulder to 1983 belted wool, 1990 black leather blazer and 1994 silk-wool tailoring. The curation places emphasis on the jacket, revisiting its evolution across Armani’s early decades.
If the first chapter was about deconstruction, this new book about Giorgio Armani is about precision. The softened shoulder, the higher trouser, the relaxed silhouette that made Armani famous in Hollywood in the 80s — photographed not as museum pieces but as contemporary menswear.
Eli Russell Linnetz Shoots the Past Like the Present
For this chapter, the house entrusted American designer, artist and filmmaker Eli Russell Linnetz to spearhead its new campaign. Photo: Eli Russell Linnetz / Giorgio Armani.
Linnetz brought his retro, grainy lens to the project, styling and photographing the campaign to create a seamless blend of Armani’s timeless Italian tailoring and his subversive slant.
The result: Alexander Heenan in a 1979 black leather blazer, shirt, tie and double-pleated trousers that looks like it was made yesterday. No nostalgia filter, just cut.
Where to Find It
Opening at Giorgio Armani’s boutique in Via Sant’Andrea 9, this new book about Giorgio Armani and its capsule are also available in select U.S. stores beginning in May, on Mytheresa, at Apropos Berlino in Berlin, at Just One Eye in Los Angeles, and at select Armani retail stores.
This new book about Giorgio Armani follows another essential title, Per Amore. With this book Giorgio Armani retraces, in his own words, his life, work, and thoughts. In fact, this is the only autobiographical text written by designer Giorgio Armani. While Per Amore is words, ARMANI/Archivio is form — the pattern, the stitching, the handwritten note that says “verify stitching, 1990 leather, soft shoulder construction.
Why This Book Matters Now
After Giorgio Armani’s passing in September 2025, every archival project carries new weight. This new book about Giorgio Armani does not mourn. It proves continuity. The jacket that earned international acclaim in 1979 still works in 2026 because the construction was right the first time.
For collectors, fashion students and anyone who ever bought an Armani blazer and kept it for 20 years, Chapter 2 is both history lesson and shopping list.
This new book about Giorgio Armani is more than a catalogue. It is a masterclass in timeless tailoring. The 13 looks from 1979 to 1994 show the evolution of the softened shoulder, the deconstructed jacket, and the relaxed elegance that made Armani a global icon. Curated for Milan Design Week 2026 and shot by Eli Russell Linnetz, each piece is faithfully reproduced and available to shop, proving that true style never fades.
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**Final Thoughts:** In short, this new book about Giorgio Armani is essential reading. It celebrates timeless tailoring, fashion history, and the enduring legacy of a true icon who remains Past Perfect Future Ready.
