Emporio Armani is classic Italian fashion in its purest form and this season was as smart, timeless and deadly serious as you’d expect. Overwhelmingly made up of office-appropriate separates, Armani toyed with subtle changes in silhouette as wide black leather frills wrapped around waists and over shoulders. Those same unfussy frills appeared at the end of sleeves, over hips and on the pockets of a fabulous two-tone fur coat. Fur was used innovatively (this is Milan after all) on a skirt and jacket as a trim on what looked like purple silk petals, while shapes largely remained conservative.
That’s not to say this collection had no bite, details in red ran through the otherwise dark and muted palette lifting it into something a little more dangerous. This conflict between work and play created an interesting tension and re-appeared throughout. Shoes were secured at the ankle with thin straps or bound on with what looked like thick black ribbon and were wicked in the best possible way. In fact there was a touch of The 50 Shades playroom to the whole show, apt given Armani is the master of grey.
