Giorgio Armani has returned to black, using the color as a canvas for the brilliant flora and fauna that floated and fluttered in this night-focused collection.
“Black is an incredible color: end of story. “Women are more beautiful dressed in black than any other shade,” said the designer, who was very talkative after the show that took place in his palazzo in Brera and closed Milan Fashion Week.
It was a powerful talk from a designer best known for his 50 Shades of Gray and a man who has long been inspired by the gray skies and muted tones of Milan.
Perhaps it was one of his guests, artist-turned-director Sam Taylor-Johnson, who got Armani thinking about black. Taylor-Johnson's new Amy Winehouse biopic, “Back to Black,” will be released in April and she has been putting the finishing touches on the film. She attended the Armani show on Sunday morning with her husband Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the new global ambassador for the Acqua di Giò fragrance.
Armani took on the ink hue for fall, wearing it on a boxy jacket with an oversized front pocket and velvet mandarin collar; a floor-length coat dotted with blue petals and a tailored suit covered in floral shapes adorned with silver crystals.
A string of black dragonflies fluttered over the shoulder and bodice of a matching dress, while beaded floral embellishments (in pink, burgundy and dark green) bloomed on dark bustiers, strapless corset tops and a sheer robe. Among the stars of the show was a shawl made of crystal flowers intertwined over black silk pants and top.
Armani liked the idea of incorporating bright flowers into a winter collection. “In winter there are no flowers, but now here they are. I invented them. They remind us of happier seasons and I like the contrast” between dark winter fabrics and bright flowers, the designer said.
The palette extended beyond black to jewel-toned velvets for drawstring cargo pants and jackets that glowed like the night sky. Bright embroidered or printed flowers fell down the front of an emerald dress, a long black skirt and a fitted three-button jacket.
At times, this collection looked more like a wild garden than a carefully tended plot, with floral prints sprouting on flats and boots, brightly printed hats, and overzealous capes. As always with Armani, the simplest looks were the best.
It's clear she puts her heart into every look, whether simple or over-the-top.
“Fashion is hard work. I've been working on those flowers for eight months and I'm still not happy with some of them. If you come to the second show, you will see that I have changed them again,” says the designer, who will turn 90 in July and cannot stop.
For more Milan Fashion Week reviews, click here.
