It’s been 50 years since Giorgio Armani launched his label, and it’s sometimes easy to forget what he stood for and how impactful his designs were, especially for Boomer women. Whether they were climbing the corporate ladder, or taking a turn on the red carpet they wanted to look powerful, elegant and “and not like a Christmas tree,” as Sophia Loren, one of Armani’s biggest fans, once said.
Armani was designing for all of them, tearing off collars, pulling out linings and sculpting soft shoulders with his needle and thread. The silhouettes were fluid, the tailoring was meant to flatter a variety of body shapes, and the earthy color palette was inclusive from the get-go.
Greige has always been Armani’s color, and it still looks good on almost everyone.
It should come as no surprise that in such a big anniversary year, the fall collection was Armani-core, brimming with the silhouettes, colors and tailoring that made him famous and beloved of that first generation of women who couldn’t get enough of all that low-key power dressing.
The collection unfurled in the show space at Armani’s headquarters on via Bergognone. It was set up like a vast cocktail bar, with semicircles of seating around tables set with little Armani Casa lamps while models walked on a long runway that snaked through the room.
They were dressed in updated Armani classics. There was a trench with leather piping and a soft elastic gathering at the back, and a lineup of long top coats in chocolate, olive or gray, some of which came with brass military buttons. For evening, those long coats took a glamorous turn in fur, chenille or crystal embellishment, and were layered over slim or draped trousers.
Jackets — collarless, patterned or with sparkling embroidery on the sleeves — played a starring role, too. Among the standouts were drummer boy styles, which came with frogging or velvet panels, while sportier coats had padding or old-fashioned cross-stitch patterns.
Armani paired many of them with chubby fur stoles and voluminous scarves, which have been over the European runways so far this season.
Trousers were loose and fluid and included harem styles. Others had draping at the front, a nod to all of the Middle and Far Eastern influences that Armani has woven into his collections over the decades. As the show progressed, the trousers became more dramatic, with sheer panels, gold embroidery and sequin shimmer.
Eveningwear called for sunglasses — and not because the days are getting longer here in Italy. Nearly every look was high-shine, from the embroidered shawar kameez styles to the strapless dresses iced with sequins and covered with sheer, shimmery veils.
And because Armani is always trying to draw the sting out of dressing, every model was wearing flat shoes, booties or sandals. “Women don’t need to be slaves to height, and they shouldn’t feel pressured to dress or behave in a mysterious, sexy way,” said the designer following his spring 2024 show in September 2023.
At the time, Armani said that all a woman really needs is a nice outfit and a sparkle in her eye. After 50 years, he’s still designing like he means it.
