Iconic evening at GX Fashion Week 2025: Emotions, sartorial art, and a tribute to Giorgio Armani
Milan celebrates international designers and young talents, in a showcase of boundless creativity and sartorial masterpieces that mesmerized the audience.
GX Fashion Week 2025 transformed Milan into a whirlwind of emotions and style, an evening where fashion did not simply walk the runway, but conquered eternity. At the Chiostri di San Barnaba, the Renaissance venue became a temple for a collective ritual celebrating the greatness of international creativity, leaving the audience in tears and critics speechless. Opening the evening, the words of Gentiana Dervishi, the soul of the event, moved everyone: “What we experienced was far more than a fashion show: it was a spiritual journey. Every designer gave us a piece of their soul, transforming fabric into pure emotion.
The applause was not noise, it was heartbeats, tears shouting gratitude. I saw the audience cry, I saw smiles full of light. I dedicated this edition to Giorgio Armani, the master of global fashion who has just passed, whose elegance and genius have shaped the history of fashion and continue to inspire us every day. GX Fashion Week has proven that when fashion becomes art, it does not merely dress bodies: it ignites the soul of the world.” Veteran Umberto Michele Perrera, at 87 and with 62 runway seasons, stunned with an unprecedented collection for Sartoria Perrera: flawless cuts, rigorous lines, and technologically advanced fabrics that shifted with the light, proving that time bends to his art rather than passing it by. Ðurđa Đukić set the runway ablaze with her Haute Couture house, presenting cathedral-like gowns, fabric architectures defying gravity, an aesthetic cataclysm that shook the foundations of Milanese glamour and will remain etched as one of the highest artistic expressions ever seen in the city.
The Griffe Academy of Tirana captivated the audience with its young prodigies, each bearing a unique and distinctive universe: Albano Pano sculpted silhouettes that seemed to move like statues, precision and vision fused in a single creative gesture, transforming minimalism into absolute elegance; Renisa Lusha exalted fluidity and femininity with a language of harmony and grace, each garment a gentle breath telling intimate, profound emotions; Estela Koni with her Gold Woman project amazed with a magnetic and powerful vision, turning the runway into pure visual energy and offering a message of empowerment and courage, a hymn to the woman as a contemporary icon; Dorela Sinjari brought unpredictability to the scene, experimenting with volumes and transparency that captured the gaze like an endless play of illusions, evoking a world suspended between reality and dream. Erisa Demo embodied lightness and romance with poetic delicacy, transforming the runway into a garden of emotions, a refined whisper inviting contemplation; Mimoza Alla dominated with theatricality and magnetism, delivering intense, vibrant scenographic appearances that turned the runway into a total, unrepeatable, and memorable stage.
From the Albanian Design Academy came equally powerful interpretations, rich in identity: Ezgi Özalan enchanted the audience with creations that seemed like layered souls, strength and fragility fused in a mysterious balance, each garment a poetic enigma transforming fabric into emotion; Klarisa Vulaj surprised with graphic lines and contrasts that redefined spatial perception, creating dynamic architectures and new perspectives, a manifesto of audacity leaving an indelible mark; Denisa Pace captivated with a hybrid and visionary language, a hypnotic mosaic of textures and materials shifting with every glance, turning the runway into a vibrant, elusive kaleidoscope. From the East, Sora Watanabe orchestrated the success of her collection with a highly specialized team of tailors, photographers, videographers, and choreographers, each essential to the extraordinary outcome of GX Fashion Week. Sora transformed traditional Japanese kimonos into elegant dresses without cutting or damaging the fabric, highlighting the harmony between Japanese tradition and contemporary fashion. Preserving the original form and spirit of the kimono, she created innovative designs celebrating both cultural heritage and the individuality of each wearer. Her concept, known as the “Kimono Dress,” received praise for its respectful approach to tradition and contemporary appeal. Immediately following, Nina Tsiklauri, a Georgian with an Italian soul, conquered the stage with her brand Unique Milano, presenting jewel-like creations that masterfully fused the purity of Italian sartorial tradition with a bold and sophisticated contemporary language, transforming each piece into a masterpiece of elegance and poetry, establishing herself as one of the most refined and visionary names of the entire event.
The backstage was masterfully directed by Alessia Xhafa with the support of the entire APS Showteam, now established experts in transforming every detail into wonder and harmony, ensuring the flawless execution of every moment behind the scenes. The makeup artists were the pulsating heart of the spark of beauty that lit up the runway, guided by Alex Radulescu and bringing to life the marvelous creations of Dea Marchetti, Greta Presentino, Sefora Lazarut, Larissa Petrosanu, Tina Sobudi, Sonia Manfra, Misha Ela, and Sachie Kishihara, turning every face into a work of light and style. The event was presented by blogger, communicator, podcaster, and radio host Alessio Marrari, whose voice guided the audience through every runway with elegance, rhythm, and a unique ability to transform each show into an exhilarating story, making the magic of fashion a fully immersive experience.