July 7, 2021 |
Photography Christina Fragkou
Giorgio Armani created a moment of timeless elegance with his Haute Couture show, held in the marbled grandeur of the Italian embassy in Paris. He called his collection Shine and that it did. Luminous, iridescent, silk organza, looked light as translucent dragonfly wings as models wafted through the salons. The couture Maestro layered his transparent fabrics to create shimmering fluid silhouettes, that glided – mirage-like – from room to gilded room.
As the show unfolded, we were lost in the abundant prettiness of it all. It was all so pleasing to the eye. The designer had created a vivid, moment of escape, from the frenetic pace of everyday life. The fabrics glistened, the frills and volumes blossomed, and the colours – peony pink and iris blue – shone and shimmered.
At the end, the models gathered in the embassy garden and looked like living flowers. The designer spoke of his desire to “create a subtle, common thread that underscores a deep sense of authenticity that transcends seasons”. He doesn’t want to stop time, but to eclipse it, with clothes that defy fashion’s incessant cry of “Next!” and replace that throw-away notion with a more romantic sentiment: “Now and forever”.
