MILAN, Italy — Giorgio Armani presented a bright and upbeat spring/summer 2010 collection Thursday during Milan Fashion Week, an apt response to speculation over succession at his Milan fashion house after the designer's recent illness.
The normally urban Armani went for a bright summer look with cheerful houndstooth prints and youthful short styles.
The show opened with loose harem pants paired with cropped tailored jackets, clutches and ankle-strapped sandals. The outfits set the tone for the collection, which featured lots of loose-fitting and comfortable pieces paired with more structured looks - a bubble skirt and cropped jacket, or loose, blousey tops and short pleated skirts.
Everything was short, even evening wear, which included loose shorts or sparkly shorts under slightly shorter dresses.
Deep open V backs, sometimes crisscrossed by strips of fabric, were ideal for showing off well-tanned skin.
A well-tanned Armani, dressed completely in black, waved to the crowd after the show before disappearing backstage.
"No purchases, no sales," the designer told reporters after the show, answering speculation about succession at the fashion house.
Armani, 75, told Italian media in May that he had been battling hepatitis. Several missed public appearances in the spring and a gaunt appearance at the June menswear shows in Milan had raised concerns about his health. But he has recently said he is feeling well and is winning the battle with the disease.
Northwest Profile, Pages 53 on 09/27/2009