For her sophomore Giorgio Armani Privé show, titled “Boudoir,” Silvana Armani took the couture label founded by her late uncle—long synonymous with masculine tailoring and tastefully restrained eveningwear—into new sensual territory. But this was not a capitulation to the naked dressing trend that has dominated red carpets in recent seasons. Instead, Armani was more interested in exploring what the show notes described as “an intimate atmosphere in which soft rigor defines seduction, and allure arises from the interplay of revealing and concealing.” As guests milled about the courtyard of Giorgio Armani’s Paris offices in the 8th arrondissement, sipping water from champagne glasses before the show began to keep cool, stars on the step and repeat offered a preview of the collection’s mood. Cate Blanchett wore a velvet jacket with a plunging V-neckline and cutout back, a whisper of shirting visible beneath, while Lou Doillon paired a smoking with nothing but layered necklaces.
On the runway, that interplay translated into signature Giorgio Armani Privé tailoring and outerwear styled against delicate lingerie and sheer layers in a near-black palette of dark greens, browns, reds, and blues. Intricately embellished lace teddies appeared beneath tuxedo jackets and opera coats, all pared back to high-waist trousers. Shimmering finishes and velvety matte textures further heightened the tension, while a plush bomber and half-sleeve evening jacket unzipped from the bottom to reveal a lacy triangle of solar plexus. Mesh tops were layered over lace-trimmed camisoles in some looks, while in others they were worn solo beneath an open jacket as a more direct expression of the collection’s balance between modesty and exposure. At just 57 exits, compared with the founder’s customary 100-plus couture presentations, the collection was a more concentrated exploration of how daywear and eveningwear could coexist in a single look.
Another surprising development was the preponderance of animal patterns. Unlike some other Italian fashion houses, Giorgio Armani has never been the first name that comes to mind for animal print. Yet, as with Hailey Bieber’s custom Giorgio Armani Privé black-and-silver leopard bodice and floor-length skirt for an Oscars after party, the big cat and reptile references were almost subtle. The secret lay in tone-on-tone colorways, their distinctive designs softened by the collection’s inky palette. Iridescent stones traced a crocodile pattern on a cropped collarless jacket, dissolving into abstraction near the top, while another shimmering evening topper featured fluttering scallops that suggested fish scales. A giraffe-pattern gown outlined in shimmering crystals continued the theme, suggesting that even animal instincts could be filtered through Giorgio Armani’s signature restraint.
