Missoni taps a new vein
Missoni has tapped a hip vein for next winter’s looks.
The family-run brand beloved for its zig-zag patterns appears to be reaching out for the younger set with a new marbled pattern, suggestive of veins and hinting of tattoos, that gave the looks an electric pulse, along with edgier styling and funkier footwear.
The T-shirt dresses of the finest knit were snug fitting, often with athletic or asymmetrical necklines, and typically worn over body suits in complementary but con- trasting patterns _ including black-and-white patterns resembling lightning flashes. Designer Angela Missoni elaborated the looks with metallic yarns for a very urban street look. Colours ran from bright shades of purple, red and orange to flatter shades of light blue, gray and pink. Will this be Giorgio Armani’s “It” bag?
Armani has launched a new handbag, dubbed Le Sac 11, and being sold exclusively for its launch at hand-picked boutiques, one in Milan and one in Paris. The roomy handbag with double handles and a zipper close is easy to access and meant for everyday use. Armani’s approach was correspondingly practical. `’Above all, it needs to hold things well. It should be somewhat soft, but rigid enough to stand up on its own,” the designer said this week.
The bag was unveiled over champagne at the flagship Antonia boutique, where the bag will be sold exclusively until April. Besides the main line, Antonia has a special edition of 12 in each of the three sizes in an exclusive colour, cognac, and upgraded with leather lining and platinum-coloured fittings.
“He liked our way of moving in the market, very soft, without yelling. Well, yelling, but not in a loud voice,” said Antonia Giacinti, whose boutique has the exclusive launch in Milan.
While many design houses have a must-have bag, big-hit accessories have so far eluded Armani. The designer expressed frustration earlier in the week that department stores eager to have his ready-to-wear lines are more ambiguous about the placement of his accessories. The new marketing strategy around Le Sac 11 may just crack that nut. After the exclusive Milan and Paris runs, the bag will later be available in select Armani stores around the world.
And the name? It’s pronounced in French, Le Sac Onze, the 11 Bag, after the date of Armani’s birth, July 11.