Four archetypes — The Artist, Entertainer, Traveler and Entrepreneur — ground the Italian fashion house's first-time fall/winter 2024 collaboration with streetwear label Kith. Image credit: Giorgio Armani
Italian fashion house Giorgio Armani is blurring the lines between street culture and high fashion.
The brand is joining forces with streetwear label Kith on the Archetype, a first-time collaborative menswear collection. Elevating the launch is a cast of A-listers tasked with embodying a few of the “characters” that ground Giorgio Armani’s fall/winter 2024 delivery.
Character development
Four archetypes – The Artist, Entertainer, Traveler and Entrepreneur – serve as the sources of design inspiration for the crossover project.
The first of these personality types has been assigned a famous counterpart who stars in the inaugural leg of Kith and Giorgio Armani’s global campaign, as legendary American director Martin Scorsese wears The Artist Capsule in a new film production.
The brands present Martin Scorsese for Kith & Giorgio Armani: The Artist
The video’s narrative structure and tongue-in-cheek tone are composed of many of the same elements that make the Archetype collection stand out.
Walking off of streets that appear similar to those of his and Kith’s hometown of New York City, Mr. Scorsese arrives on set in an opening shot.
A phone glued to his ear, the mastermind behind classic movies such as “Taxi Driver” and “Goodfellas” describes in detail that he is now working on a four-part series for Giorgio Armani and Kith.
Mr. Scorsese is seen dressed in The Artist Capsule's down-filled quilted vest. Image credit: Kith
He reviews the different archetypes aloud while strolling through Stage Three, examining costumes, demanding props and ensuring the crew is clear on which marks must be hit.
The busy plot wraps with a scene in which Mr. Scorsese admiringly observes a double-breasted suit from The Artist Capsule which he dons throughout the video.
Tailored items made of premium virgin wool — here, Mr. Scorsese wears a double-breasted suit — showcase Giorgio Armani’s material expertise. Image credit: Kith
According to the luxury labels, besides his “revolutionary and era-defining work in cinema,” Mr. Scorsese was chosen due to the nature of his longtime friendship with Mr. Armani one that has yielded the documentary “Made in Milan,” which centers on “the designer’s life and the growth of the brand.”
“For these reasons and more, Giorgio Armani and Kith were honored to work with him to debut this collection—the first-ever collaboration in Giorgio Armani’s history,” a caption reads.
The Archetypes
Kith and Giorgio Armani’s ready-to-wear is separated into four groups that, as explained by the architects, “were created for each archetype category, comprised of their own fabrics, shapes and color palettes.”
Created under The Artist Capsule, for instance, a trench coat, marled cashmere silk turtleneck, bomber jacket and other tailored items made of premium virgin wool showcase Giorgio Armani’s material expertise across a color palette that is almost exclusively black.
Monogram-debossed leather document bags, boucle and cable-knit scarves featuring an original cobranded insignia, silk bandanas, money and tie clips and key rings are among the accessories to be found collection wide.
Accessories featuring an original cobranded insignia can be found collectionwide. Image credit: Giorgio Armani
The Archetype collection lands in the U.S., U.K. and Canada next Thursday, Sept. 12. Europe, Japan and Korea are to follow.
It comes to select Giorgio Armani and Kith stores in all three regions starting Friday, Sept. 20, before arriving in China at Giorgio Armani’s Shanghai Plaza 66, Chengdu, Beijing China World and Hong Kong Canton Road shops on Saturday, Sept. 28.
On Sept. 6 and 7, the brands hosted a special pop-up experience at a redesigned luxury townhouse on New York City’s Upper East Side, complete with dedicated spaces for The Artist, Entertainer, Traveler and Entrepreneur; inside, the Archetype collection was available for purchase on-site ahead of its global launch.
The entire collaboration comes as a strategic extension for both Kith and Giorgio Armani.
The Archetype collection lands in the U.S., U.K. and Canada starting next Thursday, Sept. 12. Image credit: Kith
Founded in 2011 by American footwear and clothing designer Ronnie Fieg, Kith has become a leader in the streetwear industry. The success is in large part linked to a steady beat of partnerships with a range of brands, from high-profile consumer multinationals such as Nike to events – see Kith for Team USA & Olympics Heritage, released this summer – to luxury entities including Italian fashion label Versace (see story).
Kith’s distinct approach to blending street culture with global influences has allowed it to create a unique niche within the fashion landscape, resonating strongly with millennial and Gen Zers. In teaming up with the American fashion and lifestyle brand, Giorgio Armani manages to reach those with a penchant for aligning themselves with the latest sartorial trends.
Its primary choice for campaign star keeps the brand connected to more mature crowds, who have proven tried-and-true luxury consumers (see story).