Daily Front Row

2008 January 22

Armani Privé - Paris Couture Spring 2008

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Armani Privé Spring 2008
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(PARIS) Say what you will about Giorgio Armani, but one thing's for sure: the man's eye for detail is impeccable.

For spring, Armani's woman has refined and adorned her signature look. Quiet hourglass silhouettes featured nipped jackets counterbalanced with angled volumized skirts--called crater skirts--that whispered, not screamed, elegance. From the gentle draping of the fabric to the soft hues--contrasted by a staid black---the overall feel of the 52-look runway show has helped establish Armani as a nouveau pioneer in the rarified stratosphere that is couture.

Armani played up both circular and linear themes with this collection--which had an elementel feel to it--although the former, which came out in colored discs of varying sizes and colors, dominated the designs down to the simple cuff (in this case, by the armful) that adorned his models' arms.  Plissé organzas were seemingly whipped into shell-like fans of rosettes or into a precision-layered peplum bodice. Armani played both ends of the field, utilizing his intricate circular patterns softly on the shoulder of an asymmetrical gown--or going full blast, covering jackets with layers upon layers of the three-dimensional shells.

Evening, as was no surprise, was stellar and truly where Armani's forte was at its peak. Cast in everything from the palest creams and purples to a dramatic jalapeno red, these are the red carpet gowns to want after, in particular a white organza floor-length number that boasted exquisite black and turquoise beading that snaked up the entire front side.