January 18, 2009
The show notes evoked "a projected vision of nature moving into the city…a green emotion," but those bucolic sentiments were undercut by the shades of green that invaded the catwalk. They came from Uncle Sam, rather than Mother Nature. Hence the army-green leather hoodie with the little cap, or the bellows-pocketed jacket that smacked of 'Nam. But they were scarcely the guts of a collection that was distinguished by its randomness. High-waisted pants paired with cropped leather jackets; huge black velvet wraps that enveloped their wearers; a fur-collared, rough-edged shearling parka that suggested something post-apocalyptic—there wasn't really a through line. (And did I mention the subtle Tyrolean subtext?)
But the simple fact is that Giorgio Armani is almost alone (almost? Ralph Lauren shares his stage) in his ability to propose unlikely sartorial options for a clientele that is in his thrall. If the multibuttoned waistcoats in this collection hinted at something bygone and military, the felted wool tops with the bonded seams looked way forward, like the EA7 snowboarding and skiwear that closed the show. But even those looks incorporated intriguing suggestions of vintage skiwear. Armani continues to straddle both eras and time zones.
— Tim Blanks
....I think he didn't get the astrakhan memo
