Giorgio Armani had already laid out his battle plan for fall at his Emporio show, saying it was time to refresh the classics. “The classics — what a bore!” he proclaimed backstage on Saturday, urging men to have some fun, and even shave a few years off with more casual dressing. He followed through with his fall Giorgio Armani show on Tuesday, which was an ode to comfort and protection that was heavy on statement outerwear, textured fabrics and figure-hugging shapes.
While there may have been a lot on show — perhaps too much — Armani’s statement was simple: Tone up, dress down, stay warm. Models wore knitted caps or hats with little brims, shrugs twisted around the arms and body and scarves draped across chests and around the shoulders. He rounded out silhouettes with climbing boots, or elegant, athletic-inspired shoes.
Sweaters — ribbed, hooded, patterned, or with shawl collars — often replaced the jacket, and were layered over wide-leg trousers with small cuffs or corduroy ones in Crayola shades of forest green, midnight blue and claret. When jackets did make an appearance — at the start of the show — they were textured, soft and hugged the body, showing off toned chests and broad shoulders (Armani has never liked a weedy model). His textured velvet jackets and trousers were standouts, as were the corduroy ones — softer and more languid than the Seventies-inspired styles that Miuccia Prada showed a few days earlier.
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Outerwear was a major part of the collection (as it has been for many a Milan designer this season) and it was clear Armani was having fun with volume and texture, from the blurry plaid or bright double-breasted mohair coats and long hooded shearlings to the textured anoraks and bombers. There was much leather and fur too — such as a micro-perforated leather jacket with a frothy white fur hood — and a big yeti-style coat at the end. Armani delivered what he does best — and it was clear he had some fun in the process.