Giorgio Armani Hosts Impressive Fashion Show, Criticizes Amateur Designers and Talks About Meloni
Giorgio Armani successfully held three of his signature shows on Sunday at the Milan Fashion Week finale, while also finding a moment to criticize outdated fashion and commend Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her strength. Giorgio Armani's highly-anticipated events demanded three separate shows, held in his bespoke show-space at his historic Renaissance palazzo, situated at 41 via Borgonuovo, right in the heart of Milan. In between the first two shows, Armani engaged in a petite 15-minute press conference with around 30 editors, calmly yet assertively putting across his viewpoints in Italian with his usual self-assuredness. The decorated front row boasted the likes of Cate Blanchett, Chinese actress Liu Shishi, Korean star Ji Chang Wook, and Armani's new menswear campaign face, French actor Louis Garrel, among others.
For this season, Armani drew inspiration from one of his most important sources, the east, incorporating chrysanthemums in several looks, and finishing gorgeous velvet jackets with chinoiserie and silk panels depicting Chinese imagery. Notably, dragonflies and flowers frequently featured as motifs in the collection titled 'Winter Flowers'. Armani commenced the show with Gina di Bernardo, a veteran Italian beauty who was a known face from 80s and 90s ad campaigns shot by Aldo Fallai, a favorite photographer of Armani. The show witnessed flower-printed slippers, soft fluid trousers, and structured shouldered jackets, many adorned with floral prints or flower embroidery.
“I am fond of the concept of winter flowers, simply because there is a lack of flowers during winter,” Armani stated. For his evening collection, he received applause for his stunning gowns, like an emerald green velvet off-shoulder look highlighted with crystal flowers. The climax of the show was the audience rising to the tune of 'L’amour et La Violence' by Sebastien Tellier. The audience stood in prolonged applause as Armani received a 30-second standing ovation, with a few tears noticeable in his eye.
Armani, at 89 years old, shared that the thrill of putting on a show remains the same as when he started. He voiced his displeasure at the superfluousness in the world of fashion, stating, “Excessive nonsense in pursuit of novelty or extravagance is widely accepted in our world. This makes forming a coherent narrative challenging. There is quite a bit of fashion out there I would rather erase,”. When asked about Meloni, the first extreme right-wing leader of a major European democracy, Armani lauded her strength with a hand gesture, sparking laughter among the editors.
Armani confessed he was discontented with Milan's practice of cramming numerous shows into merely four days, stating that he had lodged a complaint with the Camera della Moda, the body responsible for the runway schedules in Milan, about this issue. He expressed his frustration with the influx of unknown foreign designers presenting their ordinary or absurd styles, questioning who really cares about them. Armani proves that Italian fashion's mighty lion still has the capacity to roar.
