For his first runway show for a cruise collection, Giorgio Armani took to Tokyo, Japan, where the Italian designer was met with many loyal admirers. “The Japanese are more Armani than Armani,” he joked to Vogue. The Resort 2020 show was presented at Tokyo’s National Museum where the special effects were spare but the star power was substantial, bolstered by the likes of Uma Thurman and Japanese architect Tadao Ando.

The collection championed Armani’s effortless luxury with fluid silhouettes and tactile materials. We saw various iterations of Armani’s signature pantsuit for both men and women, opening with a series of muted neutrals that transitioned into navy blues and finished with vivid shades of coral. There was a sense of vintage elegance with billowing panels of linen, satin and silk that were worn with layers of chunky necklaces, statement earrings, suspenders and hats. We saw touches of Asian influence in the Mandarin collars, quilted men’s outerwear and an ankle-grazing knit jacket, while bright, sparkling uses of floral motifs on feminine dresses perhaps spoke especially to the tastes of Armani’s Japanese customers.