Giorgio Armani Prive - Couture - Fall Winter 2012 - Paris

03 Jul 2012
Couture Fall Winter 2012 Paris

Sometimes the backdrop says it all. At the Giorgio Armani Privé haute couture show the designer used a video screen display to frame his catwalk and communicate his sartorial intentions. When the breaking dawn shades of mauve, violet and lilac moved into those of sunset reds and rich blues and finally finished in a starry night sky Armani’s message was clear: This is a collection all about light.

But the lightness wasn’t limited to the color palette of the collection. The cut of the designer’s clothing also had a légèreté to it. Wide legged pants came crafted out of liquid silks or smooth velvets. Soft shouldered tops finished in easy ruffles. And evening dresses were generally of the full skirted variety that moved freely about the body in shimmer shades.

The overall look of this show was unmistakably Armani. His love of black velvet, well tailored jackets and mini beret hats were once again evident on the catwalk. The interesting addition of a sparkling crystal veils was a clever allusion to that of stars in a dark night sky. Speaking of which veils seem to be a trend this haute couture season, they showed up at both the Christian Dior show and on the Giambattistsa Valli catwalk.

This collection was everything an haute couture client could ever want from Armani. There is a certain comfort to knowing that you can always count on this designer to supply his customers with expertly crafted clothing that can’t be pinned down to a time or place. But in the fashion filament Armani is a star that shines with his own particular light.

-Jessica Michault