Giorgio Armani and Kith Show Their Third Collection in Morocco's Agafay Desert, Out October 16

Kith and Giorgio Armani's third collection together has a name, a runway show and a release date. Dreams of the Dune was shown at sunset on October 9 in the Agafay Desert, south of Marrakech, according to Kith's announcement, and it launches globally on Friday, October 16.

The desert is the whole brief. Kith describes a palette that moves from black and deep blue through dark brown, burnt earth and leather tones to sand, greige, grey and icy white, and the runway ran in that order, from black leather to washed stone-coloured suits. Ronnie Fieg, Kith's founder, picked silhouettes from Armani's vocabulary with the house and reworked their construction, proportion and fabric, then added menswear pieces developed new for the collection.

Image: Kith

What's in it

Outerwear leads. Kith names a belted shearling jacket, a two-tone lamb leather utility jacket and a lambskin suede blouson as the key pieces, plus shearling blousons and aviator-style jackets it says are made in exceptionally limited quantities. The tailoring keeps Armani's signatures, deconstructed jackets, soft shoulders and relaxed volumes, alongside wide, fluid trousers and cargo pants in virgin wool, cashmere and hemp.

Around that are a reversible sweater blouson, striped inside and solid sand outside, a short-sleeved two-button sweater, a belted virgin wool shirt and a cashmere collarless blazer with matching trousers. Prints are based on wind-shaped dunes, graphic tees and embroidered sweatshirts round out the casual end, and there are scarves, foulards, gloves, hats, leather goods, travel bags and eyewear.

Image: Kith

The headwear comes with '47: nine caps across three shapes, the Franchise LS fitted, the adjustable Classic and the SL Hitch, in Italian wool, cashmere, lambskin and duck canvas. Each has a New York Yankees logo on the front, Giorgio Armani embroidery on one side and Ronnie Fieg for '47 on the other, with a leather patch at the back. Footwear comes from ASICS and Diemme, and Kith says it's the first time all three partners have worked with Giorgio Armani.

The read

Last week this partnership was a four-piece tailoring capsule on Kith Ivy's shelf. This is a different order of commitment: a full wardrobe from shearling to sunglasses, a runway show staged on its own calendar, and a launch in select Giorgio Armani stores as well as Kith's. When the house puts a collaboration on its own shop floor, it's treating it as part of its line, not a licensing favour.

For Kith, it's the clearest sign yet that it wants to be judged against fashion houses rather than sneaker shops. A destination show with a palette told in order is what houses do for their big seasonal moments. The Yankees cap is the one place the collection admits where it comes from, and it's the right one to keep.

Image: Kith

How to buy it

The collection goes on sale on Friday, October 16, at all Kith stores and select Giorgio Armani stores, and online at 11am on Kith.com and the Kith App, in New York, London, Paris and Tokyo time. The ASICS shoe is Kith-only. Kith hasn't published prices. It says its campaign, shot by Casper Kofi in Marrakech, comes out on October 13.