Runway show of Giorgio Armani collection staged Monday, September 26 in Milan, may be called the return of purity to modern dressing.
Three perfectly wonderful women almost glided across the catwalk in Giorgio Armani’s Milan space of the show, their eyes closed almost blessed, their arms linked, their figures wrapped in precious crystal encrusted pearly gray evening gowns.
The dominant color in this Emporio Armani Spring 2012 collection was silvery gray, and gracefulness in the defining silhouette. Whether it was elongated posh coolie jackets all cut without lapels, mannish dress shirts and cool palazzo pants, things were all absolutely polished. Whereas its silhouette was super clean, the collection’s materials were hyper opulent – especially gleaming satins in mixes of azure, jade and vague dawn grays.
The Emporio Armani Spring 2012 collection was finished with Oriental details – double Obi belts or geisha-style leather petal head bands. That was precisely the kind of fashion collection one anticipates from a mature designer looking back on his own career and editing his accents with a new sleight of hand new chic.
With his runway show packed with updated flapper dresses, he cuts them above the knee and not halfway down the shin like in the 1920s – and half the models heads covered in straw cloches hats with big black ribbons, this was very much speakeasy chic. However, this was an inconstant show, and a second half of weirdly curling sequined dresses, more caper than clever, suggested an atelier trying a little too hard, and not being given the required edit.
No wonder it was a spotty gray season for Giorgio Armani this Milan Fashion Week, as he gave every influence his own twist, remaking Deco with his own lovely, timeless Italian specific style.