Tatler+ Giorgio Armani
As spring approaches with new energy in tow, the Giorgio Armani Spring Summer Womenswear collection provides a welcomed opportunity to switch up your wardrobe looks
Earth, the name of Giorgio Armani’s Spring 2020 luminous collection, tells a chromatic story centered around the journey of shapes and the concept of weightlessness, and is the perfect amount of chic glamour just in time for spring.
Drawing inspiration from the legend of the nymph, Echo, who became immaterial, existing only through her voice, the Italian designer expertly enmeshes mesmerising fabrics with buoyant, striking shapes: luxurious yet sensible silk pants, flowing yet textured gowns, ethereal yet modern tops.
Colour is what draws this collection back to its origin story. These enthralling pieces are grounded in an echo of color: smokey greys, soft purple blues, and a rich earthy brown dissolve into an inky blue before evaporating into ethereal hues of pink, pastel blue, and rippling silver. Visually, this delicate progression materialises through lush organza, tulle, georgette.
If it all sounds a bit whimsy, the collection never strays too far from its key muse: the modern woman. For the Italian designer, there is a sensibility that deftly manages to embrace romance and femininity, so no piece feels forced or utilitarian. “I’ve always maintained the idea that fashion belongs to the people and not to the press, sorry to say, or to the designer,” Armani says. “It’s most of all intended for an audience buying, going around, living life.” It makes sense then that the starting point is the iconic Armani suit: a familiar look with modern and unexpected twists, artfully designed to flatter the silhouette and follow the curve of the body.
To this end, blazers are paired with fluidly structured pants, high neck tops are adorned with cascading metallic necklaces, parkas are crafted from sheer organza, and couture looks are kept to a minimum, each one an elegant but obtainable indulgence.
In the midst of large floral prints, intense ruffles, and multiple layers, there is a sense of transparency and weightlessness that sways within each element of the collection. Armani’s take on the Oxford shoe sees woven materials intermixed with a shimmering silver leather while sack-style bags made of satin, suede and leather underscore the collection’s masterful use of texture, fabric and colour.
