Real clothes with a touch of whimsy.

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‘Sometimes a nuance is enough.’ – Giorgio Armani

It seemed like an early celebration for Friday’s 80th birthday, when Giorgio Armani received the famous backstage: hugging his faithful actress friend Sophia Loren, flamboyant in scarlet; greeting Kate Hudson, in a diamond weave dress; and posing with the hirsute Jared Leto.

But Armani took it all in his stride.

‘Sometimes a nuance is enough,’ he said, to sum up the essence of the show.

A nuance? But this entire collection was one big riff on colour and shape. And shorts. The tailoring – always a forte for the genuine clients of the Armani Privé collection – almost replaced the skirt under swingy jackets.

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This change in silhouette put the tailoring focus on wide, A-line jackets in pique or textured crepe, worn with shorts, slim skirts or narrow pants to create a trapeze silhouette.

Then there was red – the full-on scarlet that glowed from a digital backdrop of what looked like a shiny lacquer box.

‘My name is red!’ Armani might have shouted out. Was the insistent colour in the 71-piece show to symbolise a triumphant success in China? And the graceful scarlet wedding dresses a homage to their tradition?

A short coat dotted with red circles might even have been a reference to the Japanese flag. The audience included many Asian admirers.

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But there were plenty of other clients because, while some designers may push the boundaries of couture, Armani makes clothes for women to wear.

Take away the whimsy – although the net veils, punctuated with furry balls, from milliner Philip Treacy, were rather charming – and there were real clothes. They were elegant and wearable, as well as fanciful.

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This season there was a hint of the Italian Riviera, when women still paraded in smart outfits finished off with dainty, pointed-toe shoes.

 
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As Armani himself said: it was his look with a nuance of the season.