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Emporio Armani: A Master at Work
By: Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
Milan, Jun 27, 2002/FWD/ --- The thing about Armani that irritates his rivals, is that
even in the midst of the decade-long downturn in fashion, his business continues to flourish.
The Emporio Armani collection he presented Wednesday in Milan underlined why he remains such
a monster success.
Unlike last season's collection which was drenched with references to displaced workers
and Eastern European immigrants, Armani explained in his program notes this time that this
collection would be "without some grand reference to societal change," and instead devoted
to "easy to wear pieces."
It was.
Giorgio opened with a rat pack of loose suits in light wool and cottons that were nothing
revolutionary, but just what thousands of his consumers are looking for.
But after this brief formal entrance, the collection was almost entirely devoted to looking
good at the beach, or maybe in the seaside nightclub after a long siesta.
Emporio had a score of drawstring trousers and jogging pants in cottons or nylon parachute
fabric, which made you long for a terrace at the sea.
His two big ideas this season both worked.
First Malay pants, cut off at the knee, with roomy pockets for your mobile phone and
BlackBerry.
Second, jerkins and biker jackets in battered leather, which in a curious translation
was described as "leather appears as if beaten with a whip."
Armani's sense of color is still pretty exceptional, everything from the cement leathers,
putty slacks and myriad variations of blue.
His sense of editing, however, could be improved.
The collection would have been much more forceful hewn of at least 20 looks.
Moreover, Armani's attempt to win some newspaper coverage by sending out a well-buffed
paper boy in pink parachute pants and naked torso, who then threw ties into the front row
of the audience, was downright embarrassing.
But these criticisms aside, you just knew as the volleyball game that ended the show in
Armani's custom made south Milan theatre wound down that this Emporio collection had packs
of merchandise.
No wonder he's the most envied designer around.
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