FASHION | Armani’s Space-Age Vision :: Paris Fashion Week ::: Spring 2010

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Andy Warhol Jellyfish by Alёna

I came across this getup from Armani in The Globe and Mail and it appealed to me so much that I feel compelled to comment on it.

I know next to nothing about fashion, but I know what I like and these photos reminded me of the future (the one that’s already past).

It’s so rare today to find anything remotely fashion-forward. The last time fashion seemed to create anything revolutionary was in the ’60s:

Paco Rabanne’s chain-link armored mini dress, circa 1967

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Back then, designers seemed to have more originality. It was the Space Age, after all, and many took their cues from a vision of the future that was unfolding with the spirit of the times. Nowadays, fashion seems to be static and far less original than these examples from the past.

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But back to Armani. Here’s Jeanne Beker’s take on his recent collection:

Over at the Trocadero, Giorgio Armani presented his Privé collection by the light of the silvery moon, which gave the glistening ivory, black and silver pieces a futuristic vibe.

Moulded shoulders, sculptural jackets, long and short dresses and skinny pants oozed glam modernity, while voluminous sparkling tulle evening gowns were a classic throwback.

Two generations of actresses – Anne Hathaway and Claudia Cardinale – came out to support Armani along with Tina Turner, who was suitably wowed. ‘I loved it all – though I don’t really have many red carpets to wear that kind of stuff to,’ the singer lamented.

Armani, who’s been troubled with health issues lately, looked much heartier than last season.

– Jeanne Becker, Paris Fashion Week, The Globe and Mail, 29 January 2010

Another website, Style.com, quotes Armani on his influences:

‘It’s about the moon,’ explained Giorgio Armani before his show. ‘I always need a hook to get into a collection, and that was it — thinking about something romantic and dreamy, far away from our everyday life. Something less harsh.’

The lunar references, he pointed out, were poured into luminescent fabrics, curviform cutting, embroideries made to look like the craters of the moon, and a crescent-shaped updo for the hair, which, he smiled, ‘is also a bit of a joke.’

– Sarah Mower, “Armani Privé,” style.com, 25 January 2010

Perhaps the entire collection was lunar inspired, but this particular dress reminds me of … jellyfish.

(Looking for a photograph to illustrate my point, I came across an interesting website, thundafunda.com, which offers lots of nature photography for free. Their jellyfish now adorn my desktop. If you like it, click on the photo below for your free aquarium wallpaper.)

Photo: Marcio Madeira

Photo: Imaxtree

Photos: Don Ashby & Olivier Claisse

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HERE’S THE DRESS  (AND ARMANI’S OTHER LUNAR INSPIRED WORKS) IN MOTION:

AND … ANNE AND TINA’S COMMENTS ON BELGIAN TELEVISION: