AFP/VOGUE – Emporio Armani collection traversed the key Armanian territory of androgynous tailoring, threw in a liberal scattering of eccentrico styling, diverted via some non-specific but definitely non-Italian references in silhouette and watercolor-esque patterning, and returned periodically to versions of an ingeniously engineered triple-hemmed party dress.
As ever, there were more looks than photos on Vogue Runway because Armani sent out his models in clusters, the larger groupings serving to emphasise the specific fashion chapter of the broader narrative he was charting. The transition was from a menswear section featuring some typically gorgeous jackets teamed with palm-printed ties that were worn above slides. This suddenly segued to some almost decadently technical all-white but piped sportswear featuring the horizontally-lined 7 of the EA logo: cycling shorts and sneakers apart, it was hard to tell exactly which sport they were made for, but it looked cool. Then another switch: crushed silk linen tailoring with kimono collar accents. And then another, and another…
It all, though, looked purely Armani. This was a show that demonstrated how constant reinvention within the parameters of constant design values creates a formula through which a label can remain forever young. Auguri, Emporio.
