It’s a season that looks ready to be dominated by tailoring – and who tailors more sharply than Giorgio Armani? He’s one of the few designers who can be credited with really transforming not only the way men dress, but how clothes are made – Armani deconstructed tailoring in the seventies, making jackets in ways they’d never been made before, with interfacing hanging free, the whole thing slouching around. Deconstruction started with the Antwerp Six, right? Wrong – it started with Mr Armani, a decade before. His Emporio line is, by definition, a younger and easier interpretation of the Armani codes; less formal, perhaps more fluid. The puffer-coated, duffle-bagged sportswear that appeared towards the end of the show was demonstration enough of that ethos, but it was a thread that ran through every garment, suiting especially, which this time was a strong statement. But of course, it wasn’t the only statement – Armani provides an entire wardrobe for his man, from day to dusk. He knows that his clothes must be worn, so he kits his men out on sumptuous knits and tech fabrics. And he doesn’t forget red carpet, of course: with Joe Jonas in the audience, he sent out his men in slick velvets perfect for red carpet occasions. They even came with dates in coordinating attire – just in case any high-profile couples want to match perfectly when taking their turns at the Oscars.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
