Talk about a departure. The futuristic (almost Martin Margiela-esque) Spring 2011 Giorgio Armani Prive collection was miles from the classic, sleekly tailored Armani looks we’ve come to expect. Perhaps the designer found himself influenced by Lady Gaga, who he dressed for last year’s Grammy’s, because this collection clearly reflected the fact that Armani has no desire to follow current trends.
While it would be hard to imagine a celebrity wearing most of the pieces from the collection anytime soon (besides Lady Gaga and her throngs of celebrity imitators), it was refreshing to see the designer opt for a more fun approach to this season’s collection.
It’s usually the draping and embroidery that draw most of the fascination in an Armani Prive collection, but this season it was the beautiful handwork with metallic fabrics. The line-up of molded jackets, slit-column dresses, and sculpted peplums may not have had the usual alluring movement of Armani pieces, but the use of iridescent fabrics made for a beautiful trompe l’oeil movement effect, especially in some of the more restricting garments.
There may have been more than a few misses in this collection, but the fabric manipulations, mismatched textures, and molded shapes were a welcomed break from the more wearable looks we’ve come to expect from the designer.
Images from Style.com
