Some fashion seasons are remembered for silhouettes. September 2026 will be remembered for job changes. In the space of a week, Armani brought in an outside designer for one of its key lines and Diesel confirmed the exit of the creative director who revived it.

An outsider at Armani

On September 16, the Armani Group put Dario Vitale in charge of creative direction for Emporio Armani and the Giorgio Armani accessories line, making him the first person from outside the founding family in that role. The news came a year after Giorgio Armani's death, and Silvana Armani and Leo Dell'Orco continue to run the main collections. Vitale's résumé includes Bottega Veneta, more than a decade at Miu Miu starting in 2010, and a single season at Versace. The split is telling: the family guards the core signature while a newcomer shapes the younger line and the accessories business.

Diesel says goodbye to Martens

Two days later, Diesel said Glenn Martens would depart once his Spring/Summer 2027 collection was shown in Milan on September 22, with no successor named. He joined in 2020 and stays on at Maison Margiela. His last Diesel runway ended in a standing ovation, and he told the Associated Press the label had never pretended to be a luxury brand, an attitude that defined his run there.

A fresh class of debuts

The season also brought first collections. Sunnei's Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo debuted at Moschino with about 400 real commuters walking the show, Hypebae reported, while Drew Henry launched at Courrèges and Kai Nesselrath at Carven.

What it means for independent labels

Three ideas stand out. Creative authority is being divided by business line rather than handed to one person. Family-run houses are open to proven outside talent. And a designer's following may travel with them, something Diesel will now test. For smaller brands, the Armani model is a practical one: keep the founder's core close, and give a newer, more experimental line room to breathe.

Read the full analysis on Upstormed: Armani Opens the Door: Fashion's Creative Director Reshuffle

#FashionNews #CreativeDirector #EmporioArmani #Diesel #SS27 #upstormed #jonathananthonyburkett #jonathanburkett #upstormedfamilyshops