The night also during the day: it is the revolution designed for next winter by Giorgio Armani, who presented his men's and women's collections with two fashion shows broadcast on video at the digital week of Milan fashion.
At the center of the scene, a green gorilla captures the attention: it is a reproduction, 147 cm high and made of resin by the artist Marcantonio Raimondi Malerba, of Uri, the life-size black primate, coming from a film set, donated for many years ago to the stylist and since then part of the furniture of his living room.
"Uri, a biblical name that means flamboyant - explains Armani - is an eccentric element, in strong contrast with the domestic environment that hosts it. It reflects my great love for animals and nature and helps to create, with lightness, a sort of oasis in my home in Milan. I thought of putting it at the center of the scene because it seems essential, today more than ever, to remember on every occasion how important it is to safeguard the natural world. My commitment on this front is great ".
And great has always been his commitment to giving women clothes to help them find their place in the world.
For next season he has chosen to do so by bringing
night into day, between the softness of velvet, the sparkle of crystals placed on check prints, blacks mixed with blues and soft colors, abstract motifs that evoke flowers and stars, liquid and enveloping forms.
"It is a way - says the designer - to bring attention back to
fashion as a liberating, gratifying gesture
, on the desire to sparkle, always with measure, even in such a difficult moment".
Jackets and coats with raglan sleeves are combined at the waist, trousers open in wing profiles while blazers lengthen and cabans choose comfortable shapes.
"I do not give up my idea of simplicity, or even rigor, but I think that this moment - it is Armani's reflection - requires kindness, and perhaps even a touch of romanticism. An element that is barely hinted at, captured by the detail of a small ruffle on the neck, from light sparkles of crystals on a surface or from delicate shades to surprise. This is a collection that gracefully refreshes and reassures ".
For men, on the other hand, jackets emptied like shirts and soft coats on sweaters close to the body with geometric designs.
A collection characterized by ease, where in the evening the velvet shirt takes the place of the jacket, and where floral motifs alternate with geometric patchworks.
"Over the years - remembers Armani - I have built a repertoire of easily recognizable shapes. The deconstructed or knitted jackets, as well as the velvet, are signs that belong to me and that the public recognizes as mine. In this collection I have mixed everything in an eclectic way , imagining - he concludes - a man in front of his wardrobe, who dresses according to the instinct and desire of the moment. "
