A 72.3-metre expression of the late Giorgio Armani’s design philosophy

When The Italian Sea Group unveiled its collaboration with legendary Italian designer Giorgio Armani in February 2023, the whole world took notice. What had begun as Project Metamorphosis would become a 72-metre signature build for the shipyard and a capstone of Armani’s contribution to yacht design, launched just months before his death in September 2025.

The first Admiral Armani 72, recently sold and renamed No Rush, stands as a testament to the designer’s signature blend of understated luxury and bold, contemporary aesthetics.

“The project took shape from an intuition that likely paralleled a vision already present in Mr Giorgio Armani’s mind,” says Giovanni Costantino, founder and CEO of The Italian Sea Group. “We submitted the proposal to his team, who carefully and thoughtfully evaluated it. Following a thorough technical assessment of the project, the direct meeting between Mr Armani and myself triggered the decisive moment.” It was at that point, he adds, that they both realised they could pursue the idea collaboratively.

Armani himself was no stranger to the superyacht life, having owned and passionately enjoyed his own yachts for decades. The Italian fashion mogul was an obvious choice, then, for The Italian Sea Group, but this project turned out to be far more than a branding exercise; he had a hand in developing every aspect of the yacht.

In the initial phase, that meant working with one or two people from his Armani/Casa design team to define the exterior lines, with several others joining later to develop the interior layout and furnishings. Three key teams from Armani/Casa, the luxury home furnishings and interior design division of the Giorgio Armani Group, collaborated on the project, working alongside The Italian Sea Group’s Engineering Department and Admiral Centro Stile to ensure the owner’s requirements were fully met.

“Mr Armani wanted to completely transform the yacht, both inside and out, following his own aesthetic and functional vision,” confirms a spokesperson for Armani/Casa. “The interiors were conceived entirely by him together with his team of architects. The hull already had certain structural elements defined, but the work focused on redefining the layout and the arrangement of the furnishings, always respecting the needs set by the shipyard.”

The project turned out to be far more than a branding exercise; the Italian fashion mogul had a hand in developing every aspect of the yacht

The fruits of that collaboration are clear. Even when viewed in crowded Port Hercule in Monaco, the yacht stands out, with its profile – including a distinct bow, dual-facet windows and main deck extended out to the stern – recalling utopian, large-scale architecture with perhaps a hint of brutalism, all adorned in a satin-gold paint job.

“The project was conceived to create an innovative yacht, with the initial aesthetic inspiration drawn from Renzo Piano’s bridge pillars in Genoa, aiming for a sleek and soft external profile far from the rigidity of traditional nautical design,” says Armani/Casa’s spokesperson.

“The initial mood board focused on contemporary luxury that is authentically maritime, sporty yet refined – a yacht that feels like a yacht, not a floating home,” they continue. “Mr Armani wanted to instil a true nautical soul into the project, drawing inspiration from explorer yachts designed to navigate all seas, including polar waters, as requested by the [commissioning] owner.”

What this translates to in real terms is something quite extraordinary – a yacht that carries presence from the outside, while offering a staggering amount of space on the inside thanks to a partial widebody design. Indeed, at 2,104GT, the Admiral Armani 72 is perhaps the epitome of the idea of “the luxury of space”.

An expansive aft main deck, which is entirely shaded by the extended upper deck, offers informal seating and a hint of the symmetry that can be found throughout the yacht. A staircase on each side leads down to the aft platform and into the beach club area that offers gym, treatment room, sauna, bar and drop-down terraces on the sea.

The aft deck also flows seamlessly into the main saloon, with sliding doors opening to reveal a central lounge area featuring two C-shaped sofas sitting on a recessed carpet, which is surrounded by cream and honey Iranian onyx.

A circular expanding table forward – modelled on the 1835 design by Robert Jupe – provides formal dining, with stemware concealed in forward cupboards along with a wine fridge-cum-cellar. Sliding glass screens containing a distinctive metallic fabric serve as semi-transparent blinds for the saloon’s wraparound glazing.

All the furniture on board was custom-made for this project, with most based on existing Armani/Casa collections but featuring bespoke finishes. “Every detail was developed and designed by the Armani/Casa team,” explains Armani/Casa’s spokesperson. “In some cases, elements were later refined by the shipyard team, but always with final approval from Armani/ Casa.”

The level of control and attention was extraordinary: Armani personally oversaw every stage of the process, requesting weekly updates to ensure every line, piece of furniture and finish reflected his vision. As always, nothing was left to chance – his sartorial attention guided the project every step of the way.

At 2,104GT, the Admiral Armani 72 is perhaps the epitome of the idea of
“the luxury of space”

As you might expect on a yacht this size, the forward portion of the main deck is dedicated to guest suites. Each guest cabin features its own colour theme – blue, sage green and beige – which carries through to the perfectly bookmatched marble in the en suites, such as azul macaubas from Brazil or an Iranian onyx.

Each cabin benefits from double-aspect glazing, which presents not just a vertical picture window in the hull but also an angled overhead outboard pane that brings in significant additional natural light.

The forward VIP offers a sleeping area to starboard and a private saloon to port, but a centreline divider can split the suite into two if required. The noteworthy volume of the interior is felt not just in the size of the roomy guest cabins, but also in the generous proportions of the corridors. The yacht feels beamier than seems possible for her length, and there’s a sense in some areas of boutique hotel as much as beautiful home.

That’s due in part no doubt to the application of a less-is-more approach to the colour scheme as well as the furnishings – something that both reflects the core influence of the Armani fashion house as well as Giorgio Armani’s personal taste. “The final result is one of numerous transformations and careful reflections – it embodies a sophisticated, discreet luxury,” says Armani/Casa’s spokesperson.

“Mr Armani wanted to completely transform the yacht, both inside and out, following his own aesthetic and functional vision”

“As often happens with Armani projects, his personal residences were a source of inspiration,” they continue. “Colours and woods evoke, for example, his Forte dei Marmi home, reflected in sofa fabrics and lamps, as well as the drawers found beneath the stairs at his home being reinterpreted in the structure of a couch which offers both function and aesthetic appeal. The lighting is carefully designed to create atmosphere without revealing the source directly, producing a sense of balance and comfort.”

Conjuring up feelings of home, the upper deck saloon serves as a television and cinema room, with an inviting daybed sofa facing a large, concealed screen. This area also serves as a secondary social area for guests, with a long bar to port and a self-playing grand piano to starboard.

Outside, the vast upper aft deck offers al fresco dining at a large oblong table, with guests served by another bar to port, a central lounging area and a big aft spa pool – whose glass bottom filters light down to the main aft deck.

Forward on the upper deck is the owner’s apartment covering some 180 square metres, plus a private forward terrace. There’s a large en suite to port complete with freestanding bath, sandblasted bleached oak floor and a colour palette based on signature Armani “greige”, a mix of beige and grey. A dressing room the size of many a large yacht’s VIP cabin offers space to hang and house an entire Armani wardrobe.

“The owner’s suite stands out for its generous size and sophisticated finishes such as light ash wood and cognac-coloured leather,” says Armani/Casa’s spokesperson, “achieving a perfect balance of elegance and lightness.” Notable is what has been left out – there has been no compunction to fill empty space with furniture such as chairs or occasional tables that would never be used.

“As often happens with Armani projects, his personal residences were a source of inspiration. Colours and wood evoke, for example, his Forte dei Marmi home”

The bed area features four columns that evoke a sense of conceptual cocooning,” says Gian Marco Campanino, art director at The Italian Sea Group. “This is paired with integrated seating, the television and an open view enjoyed from a private couch, complemented by an additional seating area forward on the bow with a firepit. Warmth is introduced through rare paulownia wood from Brazil, while generous areas are left empty – here, everything is essential.”

Even the bridge deck’s wheelhouse hasn’t escaped the Armani treatment. The main console feels like a minimalist piece of curved furniture, mounted with the various bridge system screens but finished like a guest area, and the helm chairs, while not pure Armani, are customised.

There’s guest seating aft for those who want to witness the action up close – giving the bridge a secondary function as an observatory while cruising – and, of course, the steering wheel is modelled on the Giorgio Armani logo.

The outdoor spaces are designed to add flexibility to the guest experiences, such as the aft section of the bridge deck, which features sliding glass panels so the living area can be enclosed, extending use into the shoulder seasons, or enabling indoor-outdoor lounging even when the seasonal winds are blowing at full strength. The sundeck offers an equally inviting guest experience. The lounging area boasts sofas, low tables and a firepit, and aft there’s another spa pool.

Under the central radar arch, a large bar with sliding companionway doors provides direct access for the crew from the interior. It’s not hard to imagine everyone gathering here for aperitifs that linger long past sunset. Sliding glass doors can also be deployed to serve as windbreaks.

The yacht’s volume and incredible sense of space are matched by her stylish profile. “Giorgio Armani combined aesthetics and functionality with extreme attention: everything was designed to allow authentic, practical use of the yacht,” says Armani/Casa’s spokesperson. “That ranges from the cinema room, equipped with tintable, wind-adjustable glass, to the horizontal alignment of glass, wood and sofas that evoke the marine horizon.”

Designed to be as practical as she is fashionable, the yacht has an ice-classed hull giving her the capabilities of an explorer. Perhaps that also explains the approach to extensive glass surfaces that mark the yacht’s profile, and which offer all-around views, even from the owner’s suite.

It leads to an openness and transparency that would be appreciated as the yacht roams around the world. The glazing also enhances the yacht’s actual proportions, which are further highlighted by a champagne-tinged paint scheme.

“The initial aesthetic inspiration was drawn from Renzo Piano’s bridge pillars in Genoa, aiming for a sleek and soft external profile”

“The hull colour, a metallic ‘greige’, was chosen for its ability to change tone depending on the light throughout the day, creating ever-changing harmonious effects on the exterior,” says Armani/ Casa’s spokesperson. “Unlike many yachts, blacktinted glass was avoided in favour of a refined dark grey, expertly realised by the shipyard. Mr Armani wanted everything to appear as uniform as possible, even concealing technical elements for a clean, coherent visual effect.

The main challenge, says Costantino, was finding the right balance between technical requirements and the stylistic vision of Giorgio Armani, who sought a project aligned with his personal interpretation of life at sea.

Some of Armani’s requests initially appeared difficult to achieve, with him porting in architectural influences from shoreside residences, hotels and other buildings while also eschewing compromise. “However,” Costantino asserts, “thanks to the dedication, passion and expertise of our entire team, we were able to overcome every obstacle and bring each of his envisioned details to life.”

In many ways, that’s what this yacht is – Armani’s passion brought to life, a fitting epitaph to an iconic designer. “The result pushes the boundaries of both design and execution while remaining faithful to an artistic vision,” says Costantino. With the second Admiral Armani 72 set to launch in 2026, the designer’s impact on yachting won’t be fading from view anytime soon.

First published in the March 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.