Giorgio Armani Prive AW23
The rose takes centre stage for the new couture collection. By THE FALL
Any Armani collection is going to be a masterclass in legendary Italian style, but it’s especially true when it comes to the new Giorgio Armani Prive AW23 offering. For this season’s couture, Mr. Armani chose to base his timeless aesthetic on the red rose, a flower replicated throughout fashion history as a symbol of beauty and femininity. Yet, despite that history, the modernity of the new proposition managed to elevate the symbol to even bolder new heights.
The iconic flower was seen lining the bust of extraordinary, floor-sweeping sleeveless bustier dresses in metallic fabrics. Modern art interpretations seductively covered delicate sheer dresses. Crystal-embellished stylised versions recurred on backgrounds of black and gold throughout. Roses were everywhere. All we were missing was the actual bouquet in the air.
Silhouettes arrived with a sophisticated elegance, each building on the previous. Pleated silk pants caught the light with movement and morphed into similar, long flowing skirts; some pleated at the waist, others hemmed with multicoloured crystals and silk drawstrings. Beautiful silver and dusty pink sleeveless tiered dresses were worn over silver cigarette pants, and jackets made up of individually layered flower petals played with the sartorial outlines in compelling ways.
The majority of the looks on display were rendered in dramatic red/black colourways, with many combining them both to increase a sense of night time opulence to the subtext. A particular stand-out in this regard came with the gorgeous capped-sleeved sequinned dress in brilliant red with black accents to the hem and neckline. This was then extended to the off-the-shoulder and bustier versions of the gown. Each one featuring sumptuous rose detailing to either the neck, shoulder or bust.
Towards the end of the story we were introduced to the real gothic fairytales. Delicate spaghetti-strap dresses with generous flowing skirts and full gowns and wedding dresses – all in vibrant, demanding blood red. And so, yes, we did all live happily ever after.
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