Today in Style Design Paris Fashion: The jewelers of Place Vend me get in on the act You would certainly be noticed in a shawl made up of a tangle of pink and blue plumes, a pink feather coat, a bright orange bolero with ballooning, frilled sleeves and what Armani called "crinoline rock." That was a strapless dress with an egg-shaped skirt, split to one side to show off boots and recalling some of Gianni Versace s wilder creations. But since Armani Priv has built a serious client list, the partygoers did not need to take all the hoopla too seriously.
It was as if a rock band in full swing was trying to drown out the bass notes. But those were there in the collection: a lean tuxedo, fancied up with a shocking pink shirt and one of the crumpled mini fedoras, which had a rakish charm. Then there were the opening daytime outfits that seemed eons away from glam rock, with their small jackets, deep belts and full, girlish skirts.
They too came in colors, but including an inky ikat blue. For those who wanted impeccable evening wear, silver came up as the new neutral shade and the line was slender, nipped in at the waist. The general feeling was that Armani was testing himself, trying to break out of his own shell, rather than seeing the 60-piece collection as a wild departure from his signature style.
Often the funky pieces were accessories: a single fingerless, studded glove; an egg-shaped clutch bag in vivid pink; glitter bootees; and those multicolored shawls that the designer has tinkered with in ready-to-wear. It didn t make for a cohesive vision. But the front row guest Cate Blanchett got the show.
"It was fanstastic - so rock," she said, picking out for the red carpet a black gown with a swoosh of chartreuse taffeta. "And God is in the details - I loved the shoes." Suzy Menkes is fashion editor at the International Herald Tribune.
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