Happy 40th anniversary, Emporio Armani! Giorgio Armani has had an exciting past few days, celebrating yesterday with Armani/Silos hosting their new exhibition-manifesto THE WAY WE ARE in Milan, as well as their men’s and women’s Spring/Summer 2022 fashion show, held in the Armani/Teatro, which was the brand’s first return to a live audience show.

Created in 1981, Emporio Armani has always had the intention of making fashion accessible to all, but they never created a manifesto until now. THE WAY WE ARE was personally curated by Giorgio Armani and consists of a 360-degree takeover of the Armani/Silos spaces, showcasing the brand’s history through clothes, images, and videos about its philosophy and history. The rooms are covered in huge photographs, as well as mood boards, videos, clothing, and a history of Milan from pages of the Emporio Armani Magazine, highlighting the eccentric spirit of Armani. Visitors are invited to interact with each of the rooms, watch the films, and appreciate the clothing. The exhibition also supports education and school dropout prevention programs promoted by Save the Children, the international organization helping children’s rights and interests.

The manifesto reads: “Within an EMPORIO, (an emporium), there are no limits of time or space. An EMPORIO acts as a container, an encyclopedia, an algorithm. An EMPORIO holds everything, for everyone, at all times. An EMPORIO has no set schemes. EMPORIO ARMANI is all of this, under the banner of the eagle. It is here, now, today, in every way. It is me, you, us—we are all the same because we are different. Free. It is pragmatism and imagination. It is EA.”

But the celebrations didn’t stop there—additionally, a special issue of Emporio Armani Magazine was launched, with editor Rosanna Armani, titled THE WAY WE ARE, on sale starting Sept. 23, and the double CD containing lounge and clubbing music in collaboration with DJ Ravin also celebrated its fortieth anniversary. The limited-edition vinyl version features nine tracks with an album cover depicting the magazine cover, available for purchase in September in Emporio Armani stores in major European cities, and eventually globally.

“Emporio Armani was born in 1981—far ahead of its time,” said Giorgio Armani. “I imagined it as a line with which to experiment, capturing new trends and introducing fashion for all; a container in which everyone can find something and make it their own, interpreting it in a personal way. Today it represents the cross-cutting and dynamic version of my concept of style, and has not lost its initial spirit of individuality and community, of research and freedom. These are the values I wanted to emphasize with this exhibition, because Emporio has always been a brand strongly anchored in the contemporary world, reflecting the energy and vitality of the metropolis, capturing its beat, and offering an experience made up of clothes, accessories and ideas.”