Every season for his own eponymous label or for his Emporio Armani line (the more causal and sportier version of Armani), I swoon at what his house creates and sends down the runway. I respond most to designers, designs, and shows that have a strong inspiration and concept, and a near-performance art presentation. But Armani does not need concepts. He has been creating his own sense of easy luxury for over half a century now, and it's still fresh and relevant today.
He deconstructed the men's suit in the 80s, turning it into something soft and sensual, something sexy and flowing, without altering the basic concept of what it was. He removed layers of felting inside suits, making them relaxed and able to behave like thin silk. Just take a look at the iconic clothing from the film "American Gigolo" and you will see what I mean. It was soft and casual with a sense of effortless power. This revolution rippled out into the industry and we see its waves even now: designers still grapple with ways to make suiting less stiff, to make clothing more luxe without being precious, and to make pieces with more innate ease without being sloppy. In short, to make clothes more Armani. But no one does Armani like Armani. Clean lined and impeccably tailored, Armani's sensibility is about luxe fabrics and the way a garment hangs and drapes on the body (of both men and women).
But there is also something else that I really respond to in each Armani collection and that is a vague sense, a shadow, an echo of historical fashion. The way a jacket or coat is cut or its stance, the inclusion of waistcoats, belted outerwear, loose cut and high waisted trousers...it all reminds me of...what, the 1920s and 30s? The 1880s? The 1940s and 50s? Yes to all of it. And while his FW '23-'24 Emporio Armani collection shown yesterday at Milano Moda Uomo evoked the 1920s and the era of celebrity aviators, this FW '23-'24 Giorgio Armani collection, also at Milano Moda Uomo, has that aforementioned wonderful, wistful undefined sense of history. The show notes spoke of the architecture of Milan as an inspiration--hence the set clad in refined marbles in sophisticated grid patterns--but the execution seemed to be quite a subtle manifestation. I just notice the insanely luxurious materials, the stunning tailoring and cuts of garments, and the seductive and oh-so-Italian sense of sprezzatura exhibited in a casually draped wrap or fur scarf. And speaking of fur, several floor length faux-fur coats came down the runway and were just delicious. Do watch the video at the bottom to see details of the pieces and how they move and hang.
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