Retro-Fashions Return

'Women have been desecrated for so long,' says Armani

The fashion season is upon us, and parades and cognate events are being organized on the catwalks of the capitals of this ephemeral industry.
In Rome, Anni '50 (The Fifties) is an event organized by Antonio Falanga, devoted to fashion, cinema and icons of that decade. One example is the 1951 Vespa 125, the famous scooter ridden by Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holidays, lent by the Piaggio Museum (Giovanni Alberto Agnelli) and Fondazione Piaggio.
In Paris, Armani has chosen a sober loft for presenting his rich line of evening fashion in a modern environment. Thirty-two gowns were displayed, early-20th -century style, suggestive of the women painted by Boldini. The dresses brought back memories of Elsa Schiapparelli, with silhouettes clinging to the body, revealing the curves of femininity. Few colours were used; mostly white and black, a little pink and a single touch of chartreuse. Each of the three parades was attended by 100 invited guests, observed by a group of reporters and international customers, and filled with a general air of excitement.
"If one is going to speak of high fashion," remarked Armani, "Paris cannot be avoided. After turning 70, I made myself this gift. Women have been desecrated for so long that I felt I had to put a stop to it, to make them beautiful again. Fashion has been changing completely every six months, but I'd like to give my customers at least something more durable. I spent the last five years on other initiatives, nurturing my company, and now it is strong. What I still missed was this comeback of high fashion, which is something that goes well beyond wearability, although there are tailor techniques that can make any dress wearable by any woman, tinkering with sleeves and chiffons..." The 32 models, priced between €18,000 and €70,000, were sold (actually, tried on and reserved for alteration and exclusivity) in Paris, and then in New York, Los Angeles, and Hong Kong.
The parades were attended by Nathalie Baye, Emmanuelle Beart, and Penelope Cruz, among many others. The mannequins on the catwalk wore eccentric, architectural hats, and received the sincere and spontaneous applause of the crowd. The chalice-shaped dresses danced, revealing volumes of satin flares under the knee. Dresses resembled jewels, not just for the profusion of precious embroideries in crystal, jet, and pearls, but also for the sophisticated lines, with silk rotating over chiffon, tiny frills, velvet details, crinolines, and pin-like shoulder straps. The backside, underscored by plunging necklines and skirt design, raised some admiring amazement. "Well, if it's properly designed and underscored by the dress, a woman's backside is important and elegant," laughed Armani, adding, "Do you remember Gianni Versace's lines?" Of course, everybody also recalls the long rivalry between Giorgio's sober fashion and Gianni's vamp designs. Times, however, have changed.
In his newest collection, designer Franco Ciambella drew his inspiration from the "non-self-portraits" of U.S. artist Cindy Sherman and her mutant women, apparently fresh out of a computer or a sci-fi movie. The catwalks were crisscrossed by strong-willed women, very attentive to detail -- the short gloves in dyed leather; short-handled, chest-shaped handbags; lipstick in shades of green, tourquoise and other fluorescent hues; and the hair pulled back in a tight bun. Knee-length mermaid skirts were matched with black bustiers sporting strings and other details in orange, red and yellow. Smoking jackets were clinging, Evita Peron-style, embroidered with tiny, silver sequins. Novelty dresses had shirt-like necks. A Ciambella collection never lacks some type of fetish concession, but this time it was confined to black, leather roses and strategically placed knots. His pink, voile shirt-caftan was worn with oil-blue satin pants. Two baby models paraded for Ciambella: 15-year-old Alexandra B. from Poland and 16-year-old Giusy P. from Rome.
Abed Mahfouz's collection focussed on a study on colour, particularly the brightest shades of orange, yellow, green, and red, often contrasting with one another, overlapping silk and chiffon in order to obtain shiny effects. These colours looked almost like makeup for the body. Laces and enbroideries played with transparence. Deep slits and plunging necklines followed the moves of female bodies halfway between odalisks and mermaids.
His 40 dresses were embroidered with the colours of precious gems, drawing crisscrossed shoulder straps, following contour lines and underscoring curves. Flowers, geometric shapes, and memories of ancient wallpapers could all be seen in printed fabrics, inlaid and decorated with strass and lace.

Publication Date: 2005-02-06
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4894