Haute Couture SS2021: Armani Privè

Armani Privè’s Spring 2021  has been filmed and shot at Palazzo Orsini, in Milan. It is a baroque palace with large rooms and incredible decorations, opulently beautiful, a characteristic that somehow contrasts with the agile and realistic aesthetic usually associated with Armani, but which symbolizes its perfect counterpart. Despite his pragmatism, Armani has always shown in his work a peculiar sensitivity for beauty, especially for elegance. Glitz is never screamed, but Haute Couture is definitely the opportunity to show it.

Thus, the first part of the collection is made up of absolutely impeccable suits (and also very practical, why not), enriched with beads and sequins, velvets and feathers. Laminated fabrics are recurrent in Armani’s collections, and transform even simple men’s-cut trousers into something special. The blazers are screwed at the waist, hyper-feminine, and some lifted with pointed shoulder pads. The second part of the collection is instead very dreamy. The dresses are layered, with beautiful embroideries and enriched with layers of tulle. Transparency is indeed at the heart of the entire work and can symbolize two different aspects of this Couture collection – as well as being a big trend.

First of all, as Armani himself explained, the transparencies of translucent and dreamy tulle are the visual transliterations of the emotions experimented by Armani when walking around the empty city of Milan, incredibly affected by the virus and therefore weakened in its social life. This last year seemed like a dream for many of us. It is not a pessimistic interpretation, on the contrary (Armani said he is very positive for the future, also thanks to the vaccine, which he is waiting to receive). However, it is an extremely intimate reading: the pandemic has allowed us to see “through” things, to feel a little more vulnerable, to be able to spy inside ourselves and others as never before. Armani talks about “naked streets”, but the same can be said of our souls.

Transparencies can also be a way to (re)discover the incredible romanticism present in every Armani collection, to see it clearly under such clarity of thought. The great Italian fashion designer is overwhelmed by the charm and the softness of such light materials and uses them to make a dream for everybody to enjoy: it is usual of him, but every time it amazes us over and over again. It is a tortuous path, the one that leads to the intimate knowledge of the self. But intimacy is important for an artist – especially if he deals with clothes. In a word, this collection has been very personal to us. 

Cover image courtesy: Armani Privè