The story Giorgio Armani told for pre-fall isn t a new one, but nobody tells it better than he does. If he didn t invent the idea of androgynous dressing, he certainly put his imprimatur on it. And he demonstrated his sure hand here with such pieces as a charcoal gray, six-button double-breasted trouser suit. Armani makes it a policy to experiment with a new cut of pants each season. This time around, the bottom few inches of trousers were loosely gathered, creating a slouchy, draped effect at the ankle.
The girl in boy-meets-girl dressing came through in the collection s bright pops of orange and fuchsia, a callback to the colors in his Japonisme-inflected haute couture show last July. The sweetest dress in the bunch was sleeveless, with a slightly blousoned bodice over a full, floaty skirt. Other numbers had a clingier, more body-conscious fit thanks to scubalike fabrics, but the evening looks that made the most impact were the tuxedos. He s still at his best when he s cutting a suit.
