Daily Front Row

2010 March 1

Runway Reviews: Giorgio Armani, MaxMara, Versace

Giorgio Armani Fall 2010
Getty Images View Gallery

(MILAN) Giorgio Armani
In search of the "new chic," Giorgio Armani looked to velvet, mink, and of course, beaded and pailette-studded silk pieces to give the Armani customer more of what she craves. Key pieces include the softer-shouldered jacket, the pieced-together velvet skirt, and the cape swinging over a short, fitted dress. Black and white were amped-up with shots of lipstick red, emerald green, and even a shade of orange described as "Tibetan." One black jacket dazzled with swinging, crystal-strewn fringe, while jewelled embroidery topped off other similarly dressy styles. But it was a series of black velvet gowns and cocktail dresses, that fit beautifully and moved even more so, that make the chicest statement for evening.

MaxMara
"A new constructivism, a return to tradition," informed the collection notes. In all fairness, MaxMara has never really abandoned its heritage, although its Fall 2010 direction did feel fresh. A military theme infused the usual crop of tailored classics, which were made mostly in cashmere, flannel and corduroy. Floor-grazing skirts with plenty of kick and flourish mixed and mingled with ultra-narrow, wide-wale cord styles. A flannel uniform-esque shirtdress, seen on Karlie Kloss, was MaxMara's particular brand of sophistication at its best. But the more daring pieces, such as a series of skirts and dresses in burnished gold lame, were just as show-stopping as the billowing cashmere capes. No wonder front-row guest Zoe Saldana went for that luminous gilt day dress.

Versace
A Versace viewpoint is often executed aggressively, sexy, and aggressively sexily, and Donatella's masculin/feminin take on Fall was exactly that. Long coats worn over microminis, floor-grazing dresses unzipped up the leg o r left open in the back, motorcross jackets in high-tech fabrics, and even a pair of jeans (with leather insets, but still) made for a collection that resonated even more with Gianni Versace's collections in the early '90s now that everyone is reading Deborah Bell's hagiographic tome. The gowns, of course, were killer, especially a lemon one-shouldered number with plenty of hardware. Quintessentially Milan, these looks have global appeal, and most clients will agree that the time to buy Versace is very ripe indeed.