Chapter 2 in Paris couture includes one more unlikely pair of designers, one the new sweetheart and one a hall of famer. The 2 are Giorgio Armani/ Prive and the other Ricardo Tisci/ Givenchy.
While the lady days of Le Grand Hubert are lost forever, the latest incarnation of the label is a polar opposite to its founding father’s genetic make up. In 2010 the Givenchy woman, if I can call her that as she cannot be much older than 30, must possess the rock star gene or at best the movie star gene because if she does not wish to be the center of attention, these clothes are not for her. The small collection is short on the number of styles but miles long on embellishment, materials, and overall silhouette. Mr. Tisci is hardly shy about promoting the extremes of what his ateliers are capable of and the limitless bounds of his imagination. The absolute end result is a collection of boundless expense and extremely limited audience.
Now, the polar opposite of this is GIORGIO ARMANI/PRIVE, which is long on the amount of styles and short on a color palette that forces the viewer to experience a déjà vu within a span of 20 minutes. The repetitive nature of the colors and of his design signatures will no doubt please his ladies but doesn’t make for a press worthy moment. The clothes will always be exquisitely crafted but as in his ready to wear, they can simply be a yawn on the runway which can work to his advantage here as this is all about one customer at a time. The Armani red carpet segment is so discreet that I might compare it to the bride and the bridesmaids……no star material here except for in the most discreet possible way. Bottom line is……..there was no noise here.
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