Couture shorts. No. Ruffled couture shorts. In mauve (a colour that many in the audience confessed to having contradictory feelings about before, during and after the show. Who knew such a soft shade could provoke such strong reactions?) One has to take off one’s hat to Giorgio Armani for taking these undeniably complicated elements and putting them together with a self-confidence that many of us wish we would have when confronted with wearing things like mauve organza ruffled couture shorts.
The inspiration for the collection was Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, which explained the black wavy wigs (very old-Hollywood glamour) that all the models wore. But apart from that, there was little that reminded us of the icy moors of Yorkshire. This was Italia through and through, from the masculine organza trousers (the ones with the ruffles at the ankles were way too Harlequinesque for our taste) to the sequined architectural jackets and the oversized blousons in lamé. But, just as we were wondering who would actually want to wear those pieces, the long gowns made their apparition. You may or may not like them, but there’s no denying they are showstoppers, the kind that today’s Hollywood set loves (and loves to wear) during award season. A Swarovski crystal-embroidered flounce dress was appealing, as was a bustier gown decorated with plissé ribbons, exactly the kind of non-threatening, non-overwhelming dress Hollywood stars favour. Shame it only came in mauve.
