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Sophia & Giorgio - A Story d'Amore
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by: Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Mar 7, 2002/ FWD/ --- Talk about a grand finale! After a restrained Giorgio Armani
signature collection, the emperor finished with a series of brilliant looks for evening that
were more than worthy of his glittering front row.
Charlie Sheen and fiancée Denise Richards took in the show at Armani's giant new south Milan
exhibition space designed by Tadao Ando, along with "Blow" star Monet Mazur and fellow thesps
Gabrielle Union and Laura Harring of "Mulholland Drive."
But the biggest applause went to Sophia Loren, who outshone fellow Italian star Claudia
Cardinale.
"Dear lady, how kind of you to have come to my show," said Armani to Loren, in a scrum of
paparazzi after the show.
"It was marvelous, Giorgio. What beautiful robes," replied Loren as the camera shutters
popped and screeched.
Using silks and satins and remarkably embroidered with sequins and beads in geometric patterns,
zigzags and chevrons, the black and white finale was remarkable.
A wide shouldered silver jacket that shone in the subdued lighting was the piece de
resistance -- the sort of look that would flatter any woman.
Kal Ruttenstein, Bloomingdale's legendary fashion director, all but turned pink with delight
at the collection.
The rest of the show was a more somber affair, a reflection of the designer's stated
intention in his program notes: "no to excess, no to overdone nudity, no to the
unsophisticated display of lingerie and spangles."
His big idea was, it has to be said, an odd one: huge baggy Afghan-style trousers whose
middles touched the models' ankles.
Otherwise there were plenty of finely cut, ladylike suits that women could comfortably
wear from the business breakfast to the lunch with friends, and some chauffeur jackets
with double lines of buttons.
Armani's busy day began with two presentations of his sporty Emporio Armani collection,
continued with the opening of his new Collezioni boutique on via Montenapoleone and ended
with a star studded dinner dance, with Monet Mazur as guest DJ.
But more on that later.
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
Giorgio Armani
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