Giorgio Armani was not present at his signature men’s show Monday in Milan — he is “recovering at home” from an ailment, as reported — but his legacy of relaxed tailoring and elegant casual was all over the runway.

This was seminal Armani, reminiscent of his 1980s heydays in the drop-shoulder cutting on jackets, shirts and sweaters alike; the loose and flowing layers, and the soothing colors, prints and textures, the off-whites evoking crème fraîche one minute, poplar bark the next.

The designer’s runway theater was ringed with one of those endless seaside horizons that fascinate Hiroshi Sugimoto — and that everyone is craving this time of year. On the perimeter of the room were live ferns, and sculptures suggesting cooling waves.

A fine and transporting Emporio Armani show earlier in the week had prompted a Google search for the designer’s campaigns shot in Morocco by Aldo Fallai, and yielded a host of other unforgettable images full of Armani-isms: cardigan-easy jackets with shawl collars, band-collared shirts with tightly space buttons, vests worn open, pleated pants, chevron motifs, cuffed pillbox hats and round sunglasses.

For spring 2026, they were all on display, the clothes given a luxurious spin in lustrous silks, glove-soft leathers, lightweight suede, meaty and waxed linens and open-weave knitting. Suede also predominated in accessories, from the capacious carpet bags reprised from Emporio to the soft-soled loafers and desert boots.

The show unfurled in color stories, kicking off with his signature “greige,” taupes and grays, then cycling through desert tans, moody blues and more expressive Mediterranean summer colors like bougainvillea and cyclamen.

Armani and his menswear wingman Leo Dell’Orco, who took the bow for him this fashion week, occasionally sent out looks on coed couples, demonstrating the versatility of well-cut Bermudas and double-breasted jackets.

There were a few novelties, including a handsome, shawl-collared jacket with a single-button set slightly off-center, but bang in line with the Armani ethos.

Exiting the show, some Sade lyrics entered your head and seemed to sum up this effort: “No need to ask. He’s a smooth operator.”