Armani's New Release

"Opposing influences achieve harmony in an unexpected cruise that brings back to the west a flavor of the orient, but always adapts every suggestion of ethnicity into an exotic allusion tempered by a western stance."

Thus began the press release for the Emporio Armani show, allegedly explaining the meaning of the event, which kicked off Milan Fashion Week yesterday. Whereas the press release conveyed a totally oblique meaning, the Armani clothes, while occasionally odd on their own, make up for the press release's lack of cohesion, and symbolize Armani's success. In the past three months designer Giorgio has opened his largest store ever, been given the Légion d'Honneur by President Sarkozy and launched the Armani Samsung phone.

So although his press releases may read like poetry fridge magnets assembled by a speaking toddler, and even though Armani himself may have a penchant for designing tapered trousers, which were on full display in this collection, something clearly works here.

Put simply, it's because it looks so Italian: with his sleek designer suits and cocktail dresses, Armani can make even Wayne Rooney look like an Italian ragazzo. Yesterday's collection showed this skill at its best. Jettisoning his fondness for over embellishment, Armani instead featured slick city short suits and simple ladylike dresses. Only the odd sequinned jacket and shorts, made from sheer chiffon, looked more over-the-top. But then, Italy is a country whose motto could be "molto molto", so one could argue they fit the brief perfectly.