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Giorgio Armani

MILAN, July 1, 2005
By Tim Blanks
"Eight minutes of concentrated Armani," is how the designer explained Armania, the name he gave his show. It was actually nearer 12, but compared to some of the Armani epics in the past, what's four minutes? Either way, the presentation was a fast-paced breeze. It did indeed distill his signatures—the sober palette, the soft fabrics, the sensual tailoring (taken to an eccentric extreme, as is the designer's occasional wont these days, in a finale of barefoot boys in baggy satin pants)—but it also extended them.

So navy, grey, beige, and that distinctive Armani greige were joined by sage, pale lilac, and a deep mulberry. Seersucker and a sheeny silk-linen blend juiced up the fabric repertoire. And Armani continued with the shorter, higher-waisted jacket that he showed earlier in the week. It curved down the models' backs like a second skin. There were other options too, such as the cut-away double-breasted shown with black pinstripe trousers, or the high-closing three-buttoned jacket.

Occasionally, Armani emphasized construction with contrast stitching, as if to remind us what the central issue of his career has always been: to construct or not. His absorption in the utterly deconstructed was made blatant in the form of jersey jackets that clung to the body in a way that would surely be unforgiving if one was anything less than physical perfection itself. That's not a problem for the remarkably buff designer, of course, but others in the audience were leerier. "I don't have the body for it—yet!" drawled comedian Sean Hayes, part of the show's celebrity contingent, with Usher and actor Charlie Hunnam.

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