It was a milestone for Silvana Armani, her first full ready-to-wear show as creative director of the Giorgio Armani women’s collections. While it was filled with signature Armani styles — fluid, unlined suits; wide-leg trousers, and coats with strong shoulders — it was clear this collection had a woman’s touch.
The collection was also a flex of her own tastes, talents and confidence in carrying the womenswear forward. Armani, who learned everything about design from her late uncle Giorgio, used it to pay homage to the heritage of the house — and set a new vision.
“I design with my own wardrobe in mind, particularly when it comes to ready-to-wear pieces,” said Armani, adding that her aim was to simplify the silhouettes in the spirit of elegance and practicality.
There were no hats — Giorgio may have loved them, but she does not — while the jewelry and layering were also minimal. This was a woman’s collection.
The soundtrack also reflected that new female energy. The show closed with the legendary Italian singer Mina singing a previously unreleased track, “A costo di morire,” as a tribute to the late designer, and a nod to Armani’s first rtw effort.
She set the tone early, with a lineup of fluid, lightweight gray flannel suits with masculine tailoring and strong shoulders. Layered over gray sweaters and wide-leg trousers, those looked like they could go all day long, and without anyone saying, “I can’t wait to get this thing off.”
Other jackets came with or without lapels, with pleats at the back, or with longer lines so they could double as coats in between seasons, when the weather’s all over the place.
For those who prefer less formal layers, there were long knit coats in dark gray and sage green ponchos and sweater-jackets, which Armani paired with white, wide-leg trousers “to brighten things up,” the designer said. Quilted, collarless jackets with Far Eastern flair were an homage to Giorgio, “who was crazy about Japan,” Armani added.
Formal looks were refreshingly simple, too, and heavy on velvet. There were long burgundy dresses with racer-backs and tapestry style squares at the front; roomy velvet suits with collarless jackets and sparkling, embellished plackets, and trousers galore, many of them styled with another Giorgio favorite — low heels for women on the move.
When she wasn’t working with velvet, Armani looked to iridescent fabrics. She paired midnight blue and burgundy for capes and tunic top-trouser combos with a dash of shimmer — but not too much. A softer and more distilled era is emerging at Giorgio Armani, and the fans are going to love it.
