Pop Bytes: Armani in 2021 is as gorgeous as ever: 40 years of Giorgio Armani

Lifting the veil of doom and gloom that has altered the way Giorgio Armani has presented his collection since 1981, the 40th anniversary of Emporio Armani wasn’t filled with movie stars (usually a staple on the front row of his shows), political heavyweights, jet setting socialites and supermodels but a socially distant affair with a level of studied, honed perfection that only he can provide.  

Locked down at his palatial home on Via Borgonuovo in Milan, Armani digitally presented the Emporio Armani collection to a global audience – streaming it online for audiences in New Delhi to New York, Tokyo to Paris. The entire world of fashion purveyors watched simultaneously the mix of the 1980s disco era and the modern that strutted down the catwalk. A patina of technicolour dreams, as well as his signature navy and all-black ensembles. Flashes and pops of colour with contemporary cuts, exquisite silhouettes, patterns and monochrome.  

Filmed against a backdrop of the brand’s name writ in neon, the collection had all the signature pieces one expects from the legend; luxurious fabrications, glitter, leather, whimsical cuts and classic silhouettes, the pride, the peplum, the pinstripe, he showed it all. Models wearing knits with sequin borders, jacquard, suitings for women and loungewear tailoring for men.

For long loving, enduring fans of the brand, there were new graphic shapes, amplified colours, as well as reassuring crystals and glittering gowns – those most often seen on the red carpet of every award show. Pieces you’ll see again on  Armani’s muses like Cate Blanchette, Julia Roberts and that A-list ilk; there’s a reason why he’s held the crown of “the king of the Hollywood red carpet” (Vanity Fair) since 1978, when he  first dressed Diane Keaton. Movie stars and Armani go hand in velvet-gloved hand so when you see a black and white gown with glittering embellishments, you know Kidman will swan down the stage like he made it just for her.    

No other designer of his vintage – Giorgio Armani turned 87 this past July – stands this tall, relevant and a force to be reckoned with. Trends come and go, tides rise and fall. Style is eternal and Armani is forever. 

P.Ramakrishnan

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Eternal Elegance: Giorgio Armani Retrospective

With subtle fabrics and understated colours, Giorgio Armani’s fashion creations are a testament to enduring design

Take any chapter in the rich history of Giorgio Armani and behold the timeless, seemingly effortless elegance that transcends the epoch his outfits were born into. In the ’70s he brought power dressing to leading ladies on screen (reflect on how he dressed Diane Keaton); in the ’80s he relaxed that silhouette with softer fabrics (sure, he worked the shoulder pads, but he made the jackets in velvet for Jodie Foster); in the ’90s, he singlehandedly transformed Oscar red-carpet dressing by eschewing Vegas-style-sequins, feathers and costume jewellery for aesthetically impeccable ensembles and diamonds. As he famously said of dressing leading ladies for the red carpet, “She will not regret what she is wearing when she looks at pictures of herself in the press the next day. Or even next year.”


Or even next decade, as hindsight now reveals. Armani refrained from being trendy, opting for classic. Fads meant nothing to him as he focused on the eternal, putting the pow into power dressing with his signature style. This season however, he’s gone for a gentler, ethereal silhouette.

Enhanced by the use of “liquid” fabrics and aquatic colours, the latest collection is based on an abstract inspiration: a game of refractions created by a ray of light on a body of water. To that end, Armani uses fine lines and materials for clothing that envelops the body and flows with the silhouette, resulting in an impression of soft and gentle elegance.

The liquid effect is reproduced in organza and translucent materials, blended together and overlapping, with ruffles and layers in subtle, delicate hues: metallic greys, silky pastels, pale blues, with touches of pinks and bright greens. The overall effect is one of iridescent and poetic elegance: fragility full of strength.


“Collection after collection, I hone the idea of soft elegance,” Armani says from his studio. “This season the challenge has been to transpose the mutability of the shape and colour of water into garments and accessories. I achieved this effect with subtle but firm fabrics, using linear constructions and a masterly play on lightweight overlays and glossy embroidery.”

On this journey, the Giorgio Armani woman finds strength in gossamer grace and apparent fragility. Armani was about power dressing. Now, he dresses the empowered.

armani.com


P.Ramakrishnan

Prestige's latest Runway cover with Armani is... stunning!

Love, love, the latest cover of Runway. The team did a kick ass job. Again.