Cats have long prowled the corridors of Giorgio Armani’s Via Borgonuovo Milanese abode, their slinking, elegant, feline forms and aloof demeanour a seemingly apt echo of the designer’s oeuvre across an empire of fashion and design (indeed, he has been photographed clasping numerous pet cats across his five-decade-long career).
Revealed today, an unexpected collaboration between Swedish fashion label Our Legacy and Emporio Armani sees Mr Armani’s beloved animal adorn voluminous shirts and neckties – as well as in a special film animated by Gustaf Holtenäs – part of a larger collection that combines the two brands’ distinct aesthetics in a capsule wardrobe for both men and women.
First Look: Emporio Armani Our Legacy Work Shop
The collaboration is part of Our Legacy Work Shop, an offshoot of the label that utilises deadstock and recycled garments (the brand’s co-founder Jockum Hallin describes it as ‘an experimental way of creating exciting pieces from leftover stock and fabrics, elevating something old into something new and desirable’). Titled ‘Emporio Armani Our Legacy Work Shop’, the project sees the two brands unite on the collection’s ‘inspiration, curation and execution... resulting in a merged world, blending old and new, reworked yet unmistakable silhouettes’.
As such, pieces combine Our Legacy’s undone, vintage-inspired silhouettes – whether an oversized suede flight jacket with teddy colour, jacquard waistcoat, or slouchy plaid shirts – with hallmarks of Emporio Armani, from signature fluid tailoring to berets and sunglasses adorned with its eagle motif. Textural interest runs throughout, whether corduroy, coloured leather, denim or heavyweight jersey, while naive cat motifs appear throughout.
An accompanying campaign is photographed by British artist Mark Borthwick, seeing the collection captured in a series of sun-lit, street-shot images. Launching on 17 November 2023, the collection will be available in Our Legacy stores, ourlegacy.com, as well as in Dover Street Market outposts (London, Ginza, New York, Los Angeles and Beijing) and the retailer’s e-shop.
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