ARMANI PRIVÉ COUTURE FALL 2021

 ANYONE WHO READS ME REGULARLY KNOWS I AM A DIE-HARD Armani fan BUT I must admit that this collection seems off; from the palette to the choice of silhouettes and even to the overall looks of each of the endless repetitive exits.

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It starts out seemingly very Armani (jacket heaven) and slowly dwindles to repetitive pastel looks that might even be considered generic. Yes, it’s a jacket and pants fest and yes, it’s about shoulders and then suddenly is about these filmy or poufy, frilly or just plain oddly assembled outfits that look out of place when linked to the brand.

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Yes, there is that Armani fluidity coupled with that Armani weightlessness in most and then there seems to be all these needless “fish out of water” filler that does not show the designer off at his best. Where was the urbane and soigné we usually see?

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If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say someone else designed most of this and all Amani had to do was sign off on it. The slickness of his collections is not present nor that commanding presence that the clothes usually possess. Even the choice of  fabrications and prints seems off!

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Honestly, I don’t know what to make of it ... even the styling was off

Armani Privé haute couture spring 2021

 “The times we are living in do force us to stay at home and have a very limited social life, but the quest for beauty is eternal,” Armani wrote. “That is what this collection is all about.”

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For me this was like seeing 2 different collections and yet all so seamlessly cohesively woven together. The dichotomy was in the palette from neutrals to pastels to jewel tones and all with the most amazing quality being the clothes had a fragility and delicacy that made them appear almost ethereal and weightless.

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The embroideries beyond one’s imagination, the flourishes of the horse hair “collars”, the exquisite jeweling of a velvet jacket, the embellished tulles that appeared almost floating and all of them made and fitted to perfection.

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It is hard to think that at one time, decades ago, Armani only made dresses that looked like uniforms rather than real people dresses but look at what this man has accomplished in terms of expanding his vocabulary and enlarging the DNA of his brand.

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 The variations from the structured to the almost negligee like fragility, the extraordinary femininity and the variety of silhouettes … jackets of every conceivable nature and clothes that women will aspire to and covet which is exactly what haute couture is supposed to do…lust! I urge you to watch the film and look at the slides anywhere you can find them as these images do not do justice to the extreme beauty of this collection.

Giorgio Armani Privé Haute Couture fall 2019

Right off the bat, whatever those rosettes are placed center front on all the girls’ heads…WHY? Then again Armani always seems to have some quirks he works into every collection and this one seemed to have a few more than usual.

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One always expects jackets from him and jackets is what they got in bountiful amounts and in every imaginable glorious configuration. What one does not expect is that he went a bit too far in his FTN (free the nipple) approach which I found to be unnecessary given his lauded credentials and DNA. There was also a message of transparency in a variety of ways.

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The jackets were glorious and even the clouds of tulle were exquisite. Pants are the preferred bottom half and most of them fluid, languid and with a layer of tulle over then which gave an amazing effect to them. One always believes that Armani is about the long and lean even when softened to this extent but what one does not expect are full skirted gowns in varying permutations. In my opinion many of them less successful than his usual fare.

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The palette seemed to be a mix and spring and fall and if you are looking for a theme you might say he went dotty and titty for this outing. The black pieces unquestionably were the most potent as was the overall jacket statement.

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It is possible that an editor’s eye might have helped  but who’s to say that to this man who earned his  stripes during a career that’s spanned almost half a century and evolved into an independently owned and operated multibillion dollar powerhouse of fashion!

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Armani Privé hc spring 2019

Well there is a first time for everything and today, if not a first, then a rarity... WTF was Armani thinking? The usual idiosyncrasies of those silly hats and odd skirts or pants imploded and invaded the runway turning this collection into a full-fledged mess. 

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Okay yes, jackets and tailoring are the main attraction and with few exceptions this explosion of color turned out to be a nightmare or something very close to it. Between the prints and chosen color combinations, this was one of Mr. Armani’s biggest missteps when it comes to couture. I mean feathers and fringe and organza ruffs and mushroom pleating and fringed beaded hats... yikes!

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Of course we come to anticipate the usual Armani chic with only a few hits of color and lots of soigné looks for day and evening but alas this go around we got more than we ever could have imagined as this was far from raffiné or slick. 

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Whoever whispered in his ear that this was the way to go should be shown the door at once as this did nothing to enhance the stature of the brand or the designer! Well the bride must represent the Armani of times gone by!