EMPORIO ARMANI’S SS19 COLLECTION TAKES FLIGHT
Emporio Armani goes where no brand has gone before
IT SEEMS LIKE a feat that could not have been achieved by anyone else. To bring an international airport to a complete halt for the sake of fashion is something that could only have been achieved by Giorgio Armani. “He is very respected here,” the people from Emporio Armani tell me, explaining his ability to stage the brand’s spring/summer 2019 show at Milan’s Linate Airport. One supposes that Emporio Armani after having previous outings in Paris and London, needs to have a homecoming of epic proportions and what better way to do this than to go where no one has venture before. In conjunction with this, a special Emporio Armani Boarding capsule collection was also specially created, now on sale on armani.com
To onlookers, the departure hall at the airport would have presented an interesting sight as travellers navigated their way amongst fashion enthusiasts who descended at the location, eager to witness the latest collection from Emporio Armani. Yet, it only seemed apt that the show be held at the airport.
“Airports are places full of symbolism. They suggest unbounded openness to the world outside. You take off to discover and learn, or come back after experiencing countless adventures,” said Mr. Armani. “I liked the idea of staging this event in the same hangar which has been labelled with the “Emporio Armani” insignia and its iconic eagle logo since 1996 ̶ an image that welcomes the thousands of travellers who land at Linate Airport or functions as a farewell as they depart from Milan. The airport is the perfect space for Emporio Armani, the brand that embodies a free, adventurous spirit and continually reasserts its essence through a contemporary style.”
The experience was complete, right down to having to use one’s passport to “check-in” and “board” to enter the show. But perhaps that’s where similarity ends. The typical mundane aspects of taking a flight were absent the moment you entered the hangar. Instead it exuded the vibe of a concert, held at a stadium. As it turned out, it was, with Robbie Williams, emerging as a surprise closing act for the show.
The former Take That singer, and most recently X Factor judge, dressed in a kilt, worn with a sequinned tuxedo jacket, perhaps the culmination of Emporio Armani’s
“AIRPORTS ARE PLACES FULL OF SYMBOLISM. THEY SUGGEST UNBOUNDED
OPENNESS TO THE WORLD OUTSIDE. YOU TAKE OFF TO DISCOVER AND LEARN, OR COME BACK AFTER EXPERIENCING COUNTLESS ADVENTURES“
quest to be perceived differently. The cheeky lad is hardly the personification of the typical Armani man. A more expected choice would perhaps have been Ricky Martin who is often outfitted in Armani.
In front of a crowd of approximately 2300, Emporio Armani remained true to its spirit of being the “younger” brand, speaking to a dynamic audience in an urban setting. Themed, In Transit, the collection reasserted the codes of this DNA. With this collection, Armani does what he does best, producing garments that exude the spirit of the global citizen, incorporating elements of motion with innovative fabrics. Perhaps, the epic scale in which the show was stage may not have been the best setting to fully appreciate the creations. With Emporio Armani it is often the case of the devil is in the details, requiring an up, close look at each garment.
Nonetheless, the stage created a vibe of who this sophisticated individual is. From surfer guys to city dweller. From ‘IT’ girls to ladies who lunch, Armani presented an extensive collection, sending nearly 200 looks down the runway. The collection tells a story that starts in monochrome but continues into neon and ends with signature Armani midnight blue.
Through the In Transit collection, Emporio Armani emphasises that for the EA individual there are no restrictions. Instead it is about following one’s instinct. This independent spirit is emphasised through the joint presence of men and women who defy convention but share the same aesthetic principles.
During the show, the masculine and the feminine move on parallel tracks. Style takes shape in the airy yet motionless consistency of silky, matte fabrics in deconstructed women’s blazers, whilst in their masculine version, fluid suits define the body. My personal favourite were the blue sequinned shorts worn by the male models. The best thing about Armani is that he can take something seemingly flamboyant and present it in a wearable form.
The collection was described by the brand as reflecting the “spirit of the times.” And perhaps it does. Fluidity seems to be anthem of the millennial generation who seek not to be boxed into categories and it is this spirit that brand hopes to capture in the SS19. AM