In a culture driven by reaction, where identity is negotiated publicly and visibility often passes for power, lucidity can feel subversive. Armarium’s fall 2026 collection built on that thesis. Giorgia Gabriele’s starting point was Catherine Tramell in 1992’s Basic Instinct. “It’s her lucidity,” said Gabriele of the character played by Sharon Stone. “It’s not about independence, but mental clarity. Knowing who you are before the world defines you.” The collection’s title, She Was Never the Suspect, read less as a narrative reference and more as a refusal to be put on trial in a culture that constantly demands explanation.
This attitude sharpened the brand’s established codes. “Eliminating the superfluous has always been part of Armarium,” Gabriele said. Silhouettes were vertical and controlled, mixing monolithic coats with column dresses and A-line mini tailoring. The signature crater collars, cut without visible seams, reappeared across the entire collection, reinforcing the sculptural line. Geometry remained an obsession: The designer describes herself as “the girl who looks up,” drawn to the symmetry of facades and the perspective lines of buildings. Newly developed knit patterns echoed the Brutalist lines that have always informed Gabriele’s approach.
Bull leather appeared for the first time. Gabriele was drawn to its compact structure: “I’ve always worked with softer leathers,” she noted, “but I love rigidity. Bull leather lets you build shapes differently.” Cashmere coats and nappa shearling balanced that firmness with controlled volume. A new mustard tone cut through a palette of blacks, off-whites, browns, and blues, introduced across leather and tailoring. Jersey marked a significant expansion: “We had never introduced leisure before,” Gabriele said. Denim was recalibrated with more sartorial precision, drawing from menswear ideals, presenting tailored pleats on its front.
Beyond the presentation, held in Cardi Gallery among some of the finest contemporary artworks and Armarium’s made-to-measure interior pieces, the brand continues to resist dispersion. Distribution is intentionally limited to one partner per city, and supplemented by Armarium at Your Place, a private, appointment-based retail format designed around community rather than scale. In a wholesale system under strain, that control feels aligned with the collection’s thesis.
