16°c Light rain
12°c Rain
The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Giorgio Armani talks fashion for next winter, urges designers to focus on clothes that sell
A model wears a creation for Giorgio Armani women's Fall-Winter 2013-14 collection, part of the Milan Fashion Week, unveiled in Milan, Italy, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
MILAN - Giorgio Armani had the last word at Milan Fashion Week, and not only where the clothes were concerned.
Speaking to reporters between his two shows on Monday, the closing day of preview shows for the fall-winter 2013-2014 season, the designer lashed out at some colleagues who in his opinion are more interested in spectacles than sales.
"One thing is to put on a play, the other is to create fashion," Armani said.
"It's not about models wearing gold crowns, " Armani said, taking a jab at Sunday's Dolce&Gabbana show with its Byzantine princess motif. "(It's) about what you can find in the store."
Armani has said 75 per cent of his second line, Emporio Armani, which showed Saturday, has already been sold.
It may sound like the 78-year-old, ever-tanned, white-haired designer who put the made-in-Italy label on the international fashion map in the early 1980s was pontificating. But last night's Oscar dress list showed Armani head-to-head with Dior, proof the designer knows what he's talking about.
Along with Jessica Chastain and Naomi Watts, Armani dressed child star and best actress nominee Quvenzhane Wallis in a sparkling navy blue dress with a big back bow from his Armani Junior line.
Noting that new markets, like China, love the live presentations, he disagreed with those who would do away with fashion shows altogether. Instead Armani suggested that the format be revisited to ensure that the clothes are the focal point.
Armani's latest winter collection on Monday came almost all in black, with accents of grey, navy and red. The chic-yet-simple collection spoke to a contemporary woman, who in the designer's own words is "a little man, a little woman, and a lot of both."
Admiring front-row guests included singer Janet Jackson and a scattering of royalty: Charlene Wittstock, wife of Prince Albert of Monaco, and Tatiana Blatnik, wife of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark.
The collection featured ultra-feminine long skirts in velvet or sequined chiffon, worn with tiny double-breasted or flared jackets. But the look also came with wide pants, complete with decorative suspenders. Evening pants were also paired with dazzling sequined tops.
Armani had more pants, including jumpsuits and Bermuda shorts, in his collection than most designers this round, where ladylike skirts and dresses were the preferred look.
Armani's only concession to eccentric show stoppers were his funky Russian-inspired felt and furry hats, worn with every outfit.
"To each his own crown," the designer quipped.
More Home and Family
- Back to Top
- Return to Home and Family
More Home and Family
(1 of 42 articles for this week)
Ore. timber country ponders future without logs that sustained economy over last 70 years
05/18/2013 4:37 PM 0
Poll
Most Popular Home and Family
- 'Disaster Decks' profiles and fixes outdoor DIY projects gone awry
- New options for breast cancer surgery treat women faster, gentler and preserve more tissue
- To bra strap or not: 'Girls' costume designer says you should take a stand on underpinnings
- SPRING PASTA: Recipe for spring gnocchi with asparagus and shrimp
- Justin Bieber given 4 weeks to reclaim pet monkey from Germany or it will be placed in care
- Architects optimize every nook and cranny when designing micro houses
- Rossellini shows animal mothers are not all ready to sacrifice themselves for their children
- Ask a Designer: A small backyard, deck or patio can still be packed with style
- There's lots to love about Carol Mackie, a special daphne variety
- Decades later, some unhappy campers recall tears, hives, bad food: "I hated sleepaway camp!"
- Canada's national lab has new sample of coronavirus, planning studies
- Google plants playable Atari Breakout Easter egg in image search
- Courthouse dogs provide comfort and controversy, 10 years after first appearance
- US government files appeal to delay unrestricted sales of morning-after contraceptive pill
- People eat too much salt but surprising report questions if eating too little could be harmful
- Architects optimize every nook and cranny when designing micro houses
- SUMMER SALAD SEASON: Recipe for carbonara pasta salad
- New options for breast cancer surgery treat women faster, gentler and preserve more tissue
- Rio fashion shows deliver bikinis in everything from see-through mesh to rigid metal
- To bra strap or not: 'Girls' costume designer says you should take a stand on underpinnings
- Don't take the cinnamon challenge: Doctors warn teens after surge in calls to poison centres
- Canada has second-highest rate of first-day infant deaths in industrialized world: report
- Saudi coronavirus cases grow by 3; 13 cases, 7 deaths in health-care cluster
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Joe Fresh items made in Bangladesh factory that collapsed, killing at least 290
- A medical triumph: 1 week later, all Boston bomb patients are likely to survive; 14 lost limbs
- Obstetricians and gynecologists group calls for HPV vaccine for boys
- To bra strap or not: 'Girls' costume designer says you should take a stand on underpinnings
- Rio fashion shows deliver bikinis in everything from see-through mesh to rigid metal
- The future: For 3 rescued Cleveland women, a confusing ordeal of recovery begins now
- New options for breast cancer surgery treat women faster, gentler and preserve more tissue
- Google plants playable Atari Breakout Easter egg in image search
- Don't take the cinnamon challenge: Doctors warn teens after surge in calls to poison centres
- Dogs can experience separation anxiety and depression just like humans
- Loblaw sending reps to Bangladesh; Canadian retailers to hold urgent meeting
- Fibonacci number sequence turns up throughout plant world, and art world too
- Obstetricians and gynecologists group calls for HPV vaccine for boys
- COOKING ON DEADLINE: Recipe for rosemary lamb tagine with chickpeas and tomatoes
- A medical triumph: 1 week later, all Boston bomb patients are likely to survive; 14 lost limbs
- THE AMERICAN TABLE: Recipe for English muffin cheese and tomato sandwich
- Joe Fresh items made in Bangladesh factory that collapsed, killing at least 290
- Cancer drug Avastin linked to 2 cases of flesh-eating disease: Health Canada
Ads by Google
You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.
Have Your Say
New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.