O ver the weekend at Milan Fashion Week, Giorgio Armani celebrated 50 years of style with a show that truly captured the essence of his brand. The collection was all about going b

Giorgio Armani created an intimate salon for the fashion crowd to get an up-close view Sunday of the latest collection from his signature brand, an extravaganza of textures, craftsmanship and the designer’s trademark elegance.

In a world off-kilter, there is something very soothing about the remarkable consistency of Giorgio Armani. Taking your seat at one of the little café tables Mr. A had installed inside Armani/Teatro—the house’s Tadao Ando-designed minimalist concrete and glass HQ on Via Bergognone—you know what you were getting without having to look at a menu: understated unstructured suiting and gossamer gowns shimmering like the Milky Way.

If this fall season has been remarkable for the return to the runways of fur, Giorgio Armani’s collection encapsulated one part of the equation that has led to that revival. A long coat worn over a patterned jacquard skirt and silky trousers looked crafted in chinchilla.

As the designer’s eponymous brand celebrates a half-century, he drills down to the essence.