What do the color hot pink and the word “Shocking” say to you? If the invitation had come from Yohji Yamamoto or Alexander Wang, one might imagine some inventive send-up of Schiaparelli. But decoding the message from Giorgio Armani — an impossible game.
What wasn’t difficult to imagine: that Armani rakes in a fancy crowd. This time out, Naomi Watts, Clive Owen, Juliette Binoche, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen turned out. They took in a show that wasn’t at all about adventurous appropriation, nor did it focus on a single hue. Rather, Armani’s shocker — and that might be the right word after last season’s serene bamboo story — was the embrace of vibrance through bold color — yes, bright pink, and also rich jewel-toned blue, purple and green. After all, couture shouldn’t be dreary.
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Armani opened with two Shocking jackets, one, with a peplum, in Lurex-shot chenille over black velvet pants, the other, a lean, elegant crepe over color-blocked pants in velvet and satin. Then the optic verve really kicked in as solids gave way to jacquards, dégradés, feathers and fringes, often tinged with metallics for a tinselly feel. Some looks shone; two long, full skirts in dappled jacquards had a pointillist feel. Worn with simple black velvet shirts, they radiated artful grace.
Not surprisingly, Armani focused on evening. While offering a range of silhouettes, he particularly favored bustier gowns with easy, manageable skirts. Which is not to say subtle; rather, here was a notice-me lineup of Northern Lights color and sheen. A printed silk dress cut just above the ankles charmed over black velvet pants, so, too, a silk Lurex dégradé gown with waist ruffle.
In fact, when Armani resisted the urge to pile on feathers, fringes and other excess to his already intense fabrics, the looks were often lovely — on their own. In aggregate, all of the surface volatility became a bit dizzying, and the collection would have benefited from some less shocking moments of repose.