Leave it to Giorgio Armani to have the brightest array of stars front row at his couture show this season, all there to witness a brilliant collection.
Arriving at the Palais de Tokyo for a spring/summer 2024 haute couture collection, aimed at both the bold names of film and awards season in the US and the clients of billionaires' wives.
A crowd of more than 1,000 fans and enthusiasts packed the entrance outside the French art institute as Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenn Close, Olga Kurylenko, Juliette Binoche and soccer legend Ronaldo arrived.
Inside, the Armani Privé show was presented on a catwalk in its signature color: pearly alabaster, in a collection that sought inspiration from both the East and the West.
The big news, though, was the selection of unexpectedly high-tech fabrics, from liquid metal like harem pants in technical silk, to columns of technical organza that looked like something out of 'The Matrix.'
The good thing about Giorgio Armani is that even at 89 years old he is still open to different cultures and the idea of exploring distant worlds. One cannot help but compare his very openness with the climate of closure in Italian politics and the rejection of refugees by the current far-right government.
Combining feather-light lace jackets with layers of cascading chiffon in an asymmetrical skirt. That could have been the moment of the Belle Epoque and Bali.
There was a playful lightness throughout: acres of lace finished with delicate embroidery, along with a swirl of finely crafted appliqués. Giorgio also took risks with his makeup and hair, with Pacific blue eyeliner and swirls of fine braids adorning his hair and grazing his shoulders.
The West embraces the East with kimono-style bathrobes, full skirts, mermaid dresses, tiny corsets and long Asian potentate jackets. And a palette of gorgeous, aquatic tones reminiscent of Ko Samui and Capri: pale pink corals, jade greens, faded blues and soft golds.
They are often made from the sumptuous display of moiré jacquards that are remembered. In a word, contemporary haute couture, ideal for a red carpet, an elegant evening or an elegant dinner.
No wonder the audience of 600 rose to its feet in unison, cheering, clapping and shouting. The Last Emperor of Fashion had just hit another home run.
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