Emporio Armani marks 40 years with soft, fluid spring collection

Milan: Italian designer Giorgio Armani presented a light and fluid Emporio Armani collection for women and men at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday, as he marks 40 years of the label.

The spring/summer 2022 catwalk show featured an array of chiffon dresses, jumpsuits, light blazers and pyjama-like suits in soft materials. Emporio Armani is seen as a more youthful brand than the veteran designer's main Giorgio Armani line.

For women, parka jackets were adorned with zips, trousers were light and at times see-though, while chiffon tops were paired with chiffon skirts or shorts.

Armani, 87, started the catwalk show in soft hues of camel, grey, beige, pink that turned into bolder blues, greens and reds. Eveningwear consisted of shimmering sequined gowns and sparkling top and skirt outfits. Some designs had floral prints and decorations.

"This season, the journey begins in an imaginary desert, crossing its oasis and ending in vibrant colourways," show notes said. "Everything blends together, quite freely."

For men, there were tailored blazers, tunic tops and pyjama pants. Trousers also bore prints while Bermuda shorts were matched with silky shirts.

In an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Armani said Emporio Armani, whose logo is an eagle, had "very much evolved" over the decades.

"(It has found) an expanded design offer and larger public. Emporio Armani today is extremely varied, in accordance with the times, which have changed," he said.

"Youth today is not a question of age, as much as a sensation, a way of being. So Emporio continues to be a container brand, in which everyone can find something. The spirit is free, metropolitan and dynamic."

The designer will present his Giorgio Armani collection on Saturday.

Milan Fashion Week, which is a mix of in-person shows and digital presentations this season following a virtual edition in February due to the COVID-19 pandemic, runs until Monday.