Giorgio Armani's Spring 2025 collection, presented in a special Manhattan runway show on Oct. 17, was all about journeys. The show notes and styling emphasized the adventure of international jet-setting, through an opening look accessorized with a luggage-toting bellhop and a series of 1930s-inspired pantsuits and shimmery, soft dresses—a wardrobe you'd expect to see a black-and-white film star packing for an overnight sleeper train through Europe or a first visit to the Empire State. Looking at singer and influencer Dixie D'Amelio's outfit for the front row, I thought of another sort of journey the Armani woman knows how to dress for: a late night out in New York City.
Nights in Manhattan (or Brooklyn, or Queens) never quite go exactly as you plan. The best outfits are up for wherever they can go: maybe a coffee shop with a secret door leading to a speakeasy occupied by a live jazz band, maybe an invitation to a penthouse party complete with glittering champagne flutes and chance encounters. They're versatile but refined; edgy without going over-the-top, the better to blend in with any dress code. D'Amelio's look, lensed by Cody Lidtke in exclusive images for Marie Claire, did just that.
The "Be Happy" singer updated New York City's all-black uniform with a bralette top and high-waist riding pants. Over the top, she added a fuzzy, strong-shouldered take on the bolero trend; on the bottom, she stepped into a pair of pointed-toe pumps.
In an email after the show, D'Amelio tells she wanted to feel elegant and upscale, yet cool at the same time. Her reimagined tuxedo was the first and only look she considered after chatting with the Armani team. "Crazy enough, I only tried on one look at my fitting," she says. "I loved these velvet riding pants and was immediately drawn to this jacket. The sleeves are so fun and thought it would look great with my short hair." Her hunch was correct.
D'Amelio also dipped into this fall's resurgent '80s jewelry trends with a pair of extra-large square gold earrings. With her long bob slicked-back and her Armani Beauty beat including blurred-out eyeliner and a dewy pink lip, she looked the part of a front row ingenue with a few surprise plans up her textured sleeves.
Makeup artist Carolina Gonzalez was D'Amelio's key to mastering her effortless-yet-upscale look even in her glam. "We went for an edgier eye, with smudged eyeliner, but balanced the look with blushy cheeks, soft glossy lips, and natural, glowy skin," D'Amelio explains.
Once D'Amelio left her hotel suite, hopped in her private car, and arrived at Armani's Park Avenue Armory show, her night took the kind of turns that can only happen in New York. She joined stars like Brie Larson and Lily Reinhart at café style tables along the show's custom-built runway; she took in more than 90 men's and women's looks in the new collection, including one accessorized with a tiny teacup poodle.
"Giorgio Armani almost always shows in Milan so I was really excited to be a part of the brand’s special celebration and show in NYC," D'Amelio reflects. Attending was a full-circle moment in terms of her style evolution: "I love New York and my personal style has really been shaped by the city. I grew up coming here and always find so much inspiration from the street style."
By the time the runway concluded, she was whisked away to an intimate after-party where Chaka Khan and James Blake shared the same stage. It's the kind of night that only a fashion legend like Mr. Armani can orchestrate, and only in New York City. Good thing D'Amelio's outfit was up for the challenge.
