Being different is what sparks creativity. Having ideas that are different from the norm, from the conventional – ideas that open up unexpected spaces and new paths for one’s journey.
Thus, Giorgio Armani the purist, Giorgio Armani the meticulous designer, who in show rehearsals takes away from a dress and then takes away some more until reaching a purity of form, Giorgio Armani the minimalist, reveals through this exhibition of dresses and accessories from 1985 to present a fantastical aesthetic, an extravagant vision that appears to transform the very essence of things.
Magical scarabs, gleaming beetles, iridescent fish, crabs, butterflies, dolphins, birds with proud beaks together form a unique zoo, metamorphosing from brooches into buckles that fasten pochettes, clasp necklaces shut and embellish bags. The workmanship of the precious materials is the focal point in a series of sumptuously striking necklaces crafted in fabrics – velvet next to silk teamed with tulle – wrapped around stones, giving them a mysterious allure. And while the stones shimmer vaguely, in a way that seems to accentuate their hardness and concreteness, the use of fabrics reminds us of the origins of the world of Armani.
The exhibition includes dresses from the Giorgio Armani and Giorgio Armani Privé collections: 51 refined creations that with their evocative beauty conjure up the atmosphere in which they were created. Here in a triumph of colour and pattern are long evening dresses, thickly embroidered with a floral design, a bold echo of a gypsy spirit. Here, too, are luminous outfits where the graphic sharpness of the jackets stands out. The common thread that runs through the exhibition is one of sophisticated eccentricity, as in the black velvet dress brightened by red roses, or in the series of perfectly tailored pieces that dare to play with proportions, and draw the eye to geometrically cut, almost futuristic shoulders, as if one were looking at a close-up photograph.
Finally, art, fashion and design meet in the necklaces and jewels from 2006, held in place by a curious hand pattern with a surrealist touch. It is in pieces such as these that we see how Giorgio Armani’s sensibility is often tuned to the unconventional. To the eccentric.
Giorgio Armani would like to thank Arsmoda for kindly lending pieces from the Giorgio Armani accessories archive for this exhibition.
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