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.

The collection was Armani-core, brimming with the silhouettes, colors and tailoring that made the designer famous for low-key power dressing.

A Giorgio Armani show is pretty much the opposite of that. It’s the closest you can get to a zen experience while still being at fashion week. The models glide rather than strut; the color palette calms,