For the last couple of seasons, Giorgio Armani has made a strong case for the colour red, followed by his love for velvet. For S/S 17, it was a sentiment that he wanted to communicate: charm. In the show notes this charming take on fashion was described as 'Charmani'. Yeah, they really went there.
It’s interesting that 'charm’ kind of feels like a non event, yet seems worthy of celebrating. An underestimated virtue, and one that Giorgio Armani seemingly feels we need a little more of right now, it could be said to feel old fashioned or creatively unstimulating. It reminds one of when Marc Jacobs did a collection for Louis Vuitton in S/S 12, where he wanted his collection to communicate the value of 'nice'. Backstage, Jacobs had spoken passionately about niceness, and felt that there was nothing wrong with something being described as 'nice.' All part of a back-to-basics guide on the hows and ways to treat one another, the fundamentals can sometimes can get missed. Here at Giorgio Armani, charm was said to be communicated via the silhouette, which 'unveiled the legs and then revealed them again.' Pretty puffed sleeved tea dresses were also highly girlish for Armani.
A rustic charm was also said to be communicated via 'echoes of distant cultures.' Sarong skirts, diaphanous veils, and inky prints of organic tundra taken from a Japanese landscape were all Armani’s take on a 'multicultural melange.' Folkloric embroideries across tees were teamed with sporty jackets. The colours were the mysterious greys and blues we’ve become accustomed to, with highlights of slate silver, red and potion purple. Words such as 'magic', 'femininity' and 'exotic’ and 'sensuality' were all given by the designer as key mood words.