NEW YORK, January 9, 2008 – As recent paparazzi photos attest, Giorgio Armani enjoys soaking up the rays in St. Bart's. But the Italian designer didn't get to be a household name by slacking off at work. Proof that the maestro has had his nose to the grindstone can be found in his well-edited pre-fall collection of career clothes. Who doesn't need a well-cut blazer, or for that matter, a pair of draped, full trousers and a sleek pencil skirt? A muted palette of browns, blacks, and grays added to the no-nonsense feeling—though there were a few lively touches of hot pink and green, and in the designer's one nod to evening, an iridescent gold dress.

– Laird Borrelli-Persson