To celebrate the 20th anniversary of his haute couture line, Giorgio Armani walked arm in arm with a model down the runway, smiling and waving to the guests. The 90-year-old designer’s decision to personally thank everyone may be his way of expressing gratitude to those who have kept him at the center of haute couture for two decades.
The inspiration behind the collection also reflects this sentiment. Focused and fascinated by how light touches fabric, Armani dedicated this season to “a real, modern, and well-traveled woman.”
“Her journey encompasses the shapes and colors of China, the landscapes of Polynesia transformed into embroidery with the softness of delicate watercolor, the opulence of India, the linear elegance of Japan, and the embellishments of North Africa. All of this conveys an intangible, barely perceptible lightness, as if touched by light itself,” noted the show’s description.
Slim, custom-tailored jackets, long evening gowns, coats, skirts, and handbags were adorned with fragments of amaranth, bronze, and deep blue crystals.
As in all his collections, the trousers were semi-transparent, silky, and gracefully flowing.
A key element of any January fashion show is the selection of pieces that will likely be worn at the Academy Awards on March 4. This season in Paris, no other show offered such exquisite and alluring options—from lightweight silk tailoring and metallic satin to flowing silk dhotis.
The show was presented in full force twice. The first featured a series of opulent or micro-pleated metallic silk dresses embroidered with micro-sequins.
Asia, which has had a profound influence on Armani’s work, played a significant role in the collection, particularly in the chiffon-trouser suits.
Set to the orchestral sounds of Jen Jenerandini’s From Nothing, evoking a stylistic universe of its own, the show symbolized the legendary designer’s triumph.