Since 2016 ‘One Night Only’ is has been the phrase that Armani has rolled out to accompany its series of spectacular globe-spanning fashion events. The log book includes Tokyo, Paris, Rome, Beijing, New York and, as of last month, Dubai.
For one night only, the renowned fashion house brought the full wattage of its spotlight filling a bespoke runway at the base of Burj Khalifa with stars, stunning Spring-Summer ’22 outfits and heartfelt sentiment.
In truth, it was only a matter of time before the one of the most eponymous brands in the world brought its signature events to the city, considering the emotional attachment Mr. Armani has for the city.
“The event in Dubai has a special meaning to me,” said Giorgio Armani with the event coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the opening of the city’s Armani Hotel. “The Middle East is the cradle of a new concept of luxury, synonymous with continuous evolution and experimentation that still draw on the roots and the magic of a rich, deep culture to give life to a new creative energy.”
Paying homage to this cradle of new luxury, the Italian designer opened the event with the Giorgio Armani Men’s and Women’s runway show and a variety of Armani Privé Haute Couture looks from the Fall-Winter ’22 Shine collection. Considering that this was a ‘One Night Only’ event–and that Armani never does anything half-heartedly–the event was glittering with celebrity talent, including Sharon Stone, 100m Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, Lily James and Coldplay’s Chris Martin who performed at the end of the event
Following the new ISO 20121 regulations, One Night Only Dubai aimed to be ethically and environmentally conscious with the aim to minimise any impact on the environment by not using single-use plastic, avoiding food waste, promoting a separate waste collection and using hybrid cars and LED lighting, a fashion event with a cause.
“The One Night Only series of events is my way of giving a special presentation to a particular city,” said Armani. “Dubai has always been special to me.”