Colors were brighter, fabrics were lighter, and fun and freedom were in the air at Giorgio Armani’s Resort presentation, which had a more youthful than usual spirit. Armani made his mark by redefining tailoring for both sexes, fusing comfort with a sleek, unfussed elegance. More than 40 years later, he continues to play along familiar lines. Yet like the endless variations a talented music composer can layer into his signature melodies, making them new without ever altering the tune, he managed to bring about a refreshing vitality to his new collection.
Inspired by the surrealist artist Joan Miró, the designer injected his typical masculine/feminine dialogue with touches of bright colors: Poppy red, porcelain blue, magenta, apricot, and peony pink were paired with more subdued shades of black and gray. Shapes were kept feminine and easy, as in a long dress in layered chiffon embroidered with shattered crystals. The play on techno fabrics versus natural fibers highlighted the experimental attitude that has kept Armani firmly rooted in modernity despite his decades in the business. Crisp silk had a papery texture, while organza was smoothed with an almost liquid feel, as in a luxurious pajama suit printed with watercolor motifs. As for his signature suiting, a short, shapely jacket in red silk jacquard had a round, revealing décolletage lined in contrasting print; worn with a pant-skirt hybrid in see-through pink techno silk, it conveyed a sense of polished sensuality.
