Armani Prive’s couture show gave a masterclass in red-carpet dressing

Armani Prive’s latest couture collection embraced a dark fantasy.

It marked the second haute couture show designed solely by Creative Director Silvana Armani, who took the reins of the womenswear arm of the brand after the death of her uncle Giorgio Armani last September.

She’s designed at Armani since the Eighties, and has made a name for herself by continuing the luxury label’s DNA with a contemporary update.

Tailored trousers and structured jackets were a major part of the collection (Emma Da Silva/AP)

The latest couture collection, for autumn/winter 2026-27, was a confident second showing from Armani. She opened the show with one of her signature looks: impeccably tailored cigarette trousers, paired with a rich blue beaded jacket.

Deep, dark colours were represented throughout the whole collection. Intense burgundies made way into vivid navy blues, with blacks permeating the collection.

Almost everything was iridescent, whether it was models draped in strings of glittering beads, wearing sequin-studded blazers, or with skirts made from a shimmering, almost liquid-like materials.

Fabrics almost looked like liquid on the runway (Emma Da Silva/AP)

This was firmly a collection for the red carpet, with a mixture of sharply tailored trousers and full-length gowns. Tassels trailing from bags, strings of beading, fluffy feathers and tulle overlays gave the outfits plenty of movement and interest.

The silhouettes played off against each other perfectly: much of the suiting had structured, Eighties-style statement shoulders, while many of the gowns were strapless, leaving shoulders completely bare.

There was a sculptural element to the clothes, too – such as a one-armed gown with a swooping, circular neckline, bringing a bit of geometry into the fashion. Meanwhile, sheer bodices on the occasional dress gave the collection more of a daring edge.

Plenty of the outfits had sculptural elements (Emma Da Silva/AP)

The beauty looks were kept simple but bold: models wore their hair back, with a slight bouffant, paired with a smokey eye to really give that red carpet feel.

Not every detail landed – some of the models wore bow ties on bare necks, which might feel like a bit of an on-the-nose interpretation of eveningwear – but it was, on the whole, a confident and assured collection.

While this was by no means an experimental collection – instead, it focused on red carpet wearability – there were hints of innovation, such as a strong-shouldered structure jacket with a deep-V at the back and a button fastening, almost looking like it was worn backwards.

Silvana Armani presented plenty of red carpet-worthy gowns (Emma Da Silva/AP)

The colour palette started experimenting with touches of gold as the show progressed, with a series of standout gowns closing the collection. The final look was a form-fitting, glittering black gown with a boat neckline, deep-V and long sleeves, accessorised with an oversized fan to add a dramatic flair.

We might not see these outfits lighting up Instagram as the next viral collection, but we’ll certainly see the designs taking over the red carpet next season.

Rosamund Pike was front row for the Armani Privé show (Emma Da Silva/AP)

The front row was suitably star-studded, with the likes of actor Rosamund Pike – wearing a smart tuxedo – watching the show.

Pike was joined by long-time Armani fan Cate Blanchett, who posed for photographers alongside her son, Ignatius Martin Upton. For the occasion, Tár star Blanchett chose an Armani Privé look she previously wore to the 2025 Emmy Awards.

Cate Blanchett posed with her son Ignatius Martin Upton (Emma Da Silva/AP)

The black jumpsuit – from the autumn/winter 2025 couture collection – had a plunging deep-V neckline, sheer cut-out panels at the side and crystal embellishments.

Last September, Blanchett wore it with nothing underneath, but for the Paris fashion show, she paired it with what looks to be a white silk scarf around the neckline.