Daily Front Row

2007 February 19

Giorgio Armani - Milan Fall 2007

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Giorgio Armani
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(NEW YORK) "Where were the gowns?" the starlets surely must have cried. (Just wait for Privé, darlings.) But Armani needn't restrict himself to the shadows when his daytime clothes combine polish and pontification in such effortless ratios. Jackets in tough tweed twisted around themselves like luxe origami, yet never appeared overwrought; intricately beaded jet cocktail dresses felt vaguely flapperesque, but the understated balloon skirts that just brushed models' knees brought a softness to the silhouette that quickly dispelled any jazz-era comparisons.|page| A pro with an increasingly subtle sense of history, Armani understands the difference between reference and retro rip-off, between glancing lovingly at the past and wallowing in it. His designs are tasteful and conservative, but a reactionary he is not; he spins something new from the fabric of the old to create a plausible vision of the future—not "futurism."