Yesterday's Emporio show had the designer exploring his sporty side. But after opening somewhat perplexingly with a male model in a velvet suit, his Giorgio Armani collection today launched off in a different direction entirely—one that felt unapologetically feminine. "Free-spirited," he called it in his program notes. In place of those boyishly practical cuffed trousers were soft velvet pants worn with blouses made from crisscrossing swags of pleated ruffles. And instead of office-ready menswear patterns, he played with flowers, printing them on his new longer skirts, knitting them extravagantly into the lining of a fur jacket, and arranging them across the hem of a sheer tulle top.
He really poured it on at night, tossing cobwebby scarves and wraps over nearly every one of his fringed gypsy dresses, and closing the show with a pair of dresses that looked like they were embroidered with thousands of colorful, glistening candy wrappers. He definitely got a bit carried away sometimes, but when he dialed back the details a notch or two, he sent out many desirable clothes, including a long cardigan coat in black and a grand cape that could've been a nod to the Costume Institute's Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy exhibit he's sponsoring in May.
