Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani has gone back to black, using the color as a canvas for the bright flora and fauna that floated and fluttered across this evening focused collection.
“Black is an incredible color — end of story. Women look more beautiful in black than in any other shade,” said the designer, who was in a chatty mood following the show that took place in his Brera palazzo and wrapped Milan Fashion Week.
It was punchy talk from a designer best known for 50 shades of greige, and a man who has long been inspired by the gray skies and muted tones of Milan.
Perhaps it was one of his guests, the artist-turned-director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who got Armani thinking about black. Taylor-Johnson's new Amy Winehouse biopic “Back to Black” is due out in April and she's been putting the finishing touches on the film. She attended Armani's show on Sunday morning with her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the new global ambassador for the Acqua di Giò fragrance.
Armani put the inky shade to work for fall, using it on a boxy jacket with an oversize pocket at the front with a velvet mandarin collar; a floor-length coat dotted with blue petals, and a tailored suit covered in flower shapes picked out in silvery crystals.
A chain of black dragonflies fluttered over the shoulder and bodice of a matching gown, while beaded flower embellishments — in pink, burgundy and dark green — blossomed across dark bodices, strapless corset tops and a sheer dressing gown. Among the stars of the show was a shawl made of interlinked crystal flowers layered over silky black trousers and top.
Armani liked the idea of working bright flowers into a wintry collection. “There are no flowers in winter, but now here they are. I invented them. They recall happier seasons, and I like the contrast” between the dark winter fabrics and the bright blooms, the designer said.
The palette stretched beyond black to jewel-toned velvets for drawstring cargo pants and jackets that sparkled like the night skies. Bright embroidered or printed flowers tumbled down the front of an emerald gown, a long black skirt, and a tailored, three-button jacket.
At times, this collection looked more like a wild garden than a carefully tended plot, with flower prints sprouting across flat shoes and boots, brightly patterned hats and the overly enthusiastic layering. As always with Armani, the simplest looks were the best.
It's clear he pours his heart into every look, whether they're simple or overwrought.
“Fashion is hard work. For eight months I've been working on those flowers, and I'm still not happy with some of them. If you come to the second show, you'll see I've changed them again,” said the designer, who turns 90 in July, and can't slow down.