Just over a week ago, Giorgio Armani opened a sweeping three-story flagship to house all of his labels under one roof on Fifth Avenue in New York. It was the party of fashion week—with a celebrity contingent that included Leonardo DiCaprio and Victoria Beckham, the glow of flashbulbs popping could be seen for blocks. Today, though, Armani set aside grown-up glamour for a moment, sending out an Emporio collection that had a much more youthful, sometimes schoolgirl-ish feel. That was due not only to the styling—sheer kneesocks accompanied nearly every look—but also to the silhouette. In place of the artful and quirky pants the designer is so fond of, there were pleated shorts for day and evening, along with a fair number of shorter skirts and baby-doll dresses.
That's not to say Armani ignored the many Emporio customers who no longer qualify as ingenues. His show had jackets and coats to tempt them. He started with a zip-front, collarless trench (though that's as masculine as things got). A pair of fitted jackets in soft, washed leather with ruffles at the collar stood out, but bouclé tweeds and velvets also made the lineup, as did knit cardigan-style toppers. What was seductive about those was their drape, the way they hugged the lines of the shoulders and torso without clinging. This something-for-everyone collection means Armani's new store on Fifth Avenue just might be an ideal mother-daughter shopping spot.
