Alongside a sun-drenched campaign by Alasdair McLellan, Our Legacy creative director Cristopher Nying talks about his new collaboration with Armani
Some pairings deserve an encore. Back in 2023, cult label Our Legacy collaborated with fashion giant Emporio Armani on a dreamy collection of laidback finery, melding together the spirit of Swedish functionality and Italian refinement. Now, the two brands have reunited once more for Spring/Summer 2025, continuing their dialogue through archival tailoring and understated luxury, and this time, expanding into womenswear for the first time. Transported to the sun-drenched shores of Pantelleria, a remote island in the Mediterranean, Alasdair McLellan has shot the campaign.
The second collection draws on Our Legacy’s deep-rooted expertise in textiles, reimagining fabrics and trims from Armani’s archive in a fresh context, proving that the old isn’t necessarily obsolete. “I love things that age well; things that don’t date, that stand the test of time both in terms of durability and wearability,” says Giorgio Armani. This process of reworking the old is instinctive to the Swedish label, whose ’Work Shop’ functions as a space for experimentation and reconstruction, breathing new life into past collections. In collaboration with Emporio Armani, the distinctly masculine, metropolitan character of Italian design is subtly reinterpreted. “These fabrics carry history. Seeing them return in a new form made the entire process unexpectedly rewarding,” says Our Legacy’s creative director, Cristopher Nying. “To design within the boundaries of what already exists is a challenge – but also an opportunity.”
Elsewhere, the collection pulls in subtle references – from East Asian silhouettes in collar shapes and kimono-inspired coats, to the relaxed gesture of hotel bathrobes and slippers, evoking a sense of beachside dressing and undressing. In a playful continuity, the cat motif, first seen in the debut collection on silk shirts, graphic tees, and neckties, returns in select prints and a deck of illustrated playing cards.
Below, AnOther speaks with Our Legacy’s creative director Cristopher Nying about the evolution of the collaboration, and the ideas shaping this latest chapter.
George Pistachio: How did your connection to Giorgio Armani’s legacy shape the creative process?
Cristopher Nying: As a long-time admirer of Giorgio Armani – I’m already familiar with his archival lookbooks and reference garments I’ve collected over the years – the process of actually working with the brand took on a more personal depth for me. When you truly admire something, it’s not just about picking references here and there, but also engaging with it on a philosophical level.
For example, in our first collection, I brought a book by Andy Warhol, created together with his mother in the 1960s, that featured illustrated cats. I had a hunch that Giorgio might like cats, though I wasn’t sure. When I presented the book at our first meeting, the response was: “Mr Armani loves cats!” I was told he had eight at one time.
GP: What inspired your fabric choices for this collection, and how do they connect to your design philosophy or past influences?
CN: When it comes to fabrics, I never look at what’s contemporary. Fabrics from the past were made with more spirit and touch. The fabric we created is raw and made from natural fibres, a blend of silk, linen, and cotton, with natural dyes. It’s very reminiscent of Giorgio in the 90s, a kind of ‘summer tweed.’ For this collection, however, we primarily used leftover and residual fabrics from Armani, which means some garments will be available only in very limited quantities.
GP: How did the East Asian influences come into play?
CN: I can see a strong influence from Asia in Mr Armani’s work, and he has spoken of his admiration for Asian craftsmanship. I also think the generous volumes in his garments echo ancient Asian silhouettes, uniform-like, but with looser shapes that allow for comfort and movement. Our idea was to mix that with more fitted, body-conscious garments. The first pieces that came to mind for the collection were bathrobes, reminiscent of kimonos, and samurai trousers evolving into skirts.
GP: Why was Pantelleria chosen as the campaign location, and how did the environment shape the mood?
CN: Mr Armani has a summer house in Pantelleria, where he has spent a lot of time. In his early work, I believe you can sense that environment: the desert-like, brutal landscape with cliffs in the middle of the ocean. A volcanic island, closer in feeling to Morocco than to mainland Italy. [It might be] cheesy to say “escape,” but we wanted to get away from the digital world for a moment.
GP: How did you approach collaborating with a brand as iconic as Armani, and what was the creative exchange like between your team and theirs?
CN: With a house as rich in heritage and history as Armani, we [at Our Legacy] hold deep respect for that legacy. And I hope that Emporio Armani also respects our vision of bringing something into a new light. We’ve worked closely with the team, and Gianni – the creative force at Emporio Armani – truly understands the values across the entire Armani umbrella (Armani Jeans, Emporio, and Giorgio), and how to channel those strengths into something for today.
Emporio Armani x Our Legacy Work Shop will be available from May 16 in Our Legacy stores in Stockholm, London, Berlin and Seoul, Work Shop Stockholm and selected wholesale partners.
