Giorgio Armani Brings Plenty of Sparkle to Milan Fashion with Main Line

Designer Giorgio Armani gestures during his Spring/Summer 2023 show at Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 22, 2022. (Reuters)
Designer Giorgio Armani gestures during his Spring/Summer 2023 show at Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 22, 2022. (Reuters)
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Giorgio Armani Brings Plenty of Sparkle to Milan Fashion with Main Line

Designer Giorgio Armani gestures during his Spring/Summer 2023 show at Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 22, 2022. (Reuters)
Designer Giorgio Armani gestures during his Spring/Summer 2023 show at Milan Fashion Week in Milan, Italy, September 22, 2022. (Reuters)

Italian designer Giorgio Armani presented a light spring/summer collection with plenty of sparkle for his eponymous main line at Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

The 88-year-old fashion veteran opened the show, called "Fil d'Or" (golden thread), with lightly-colored looks in sand and pale grey. Models wore elongated jackets and tapered loose trousers matched with golden bags and trainers.

He then turned to various shades of blue to present fringed tops and long dresses over trousers, a variety of both cropped jackets and beaded gilets paired with fluid skirts.

Many of the designs bore sparkling embellishments. For the finale, models wore an array of golden evening outfits consisting of sparkling sheer tops or gowns with sequined trims.

"I cannot manage making clothes without them having at least one sequin," Armani joked to reporters about the abundance of shine in the collection.

"A few years ago, it was out of place to wear an outfit with paillettes during the day, now it is accepted. The important thing is to wear it well," he added, repeating that the main theme of the collection was "lightness".

Models mainly wore flat sandals.

"This collection is inspired by other worlds, even if it is very Armani," the designer told reporters.

Armani presented the latest collection for his second line, Emporio Armani, on Thursday.

Milan Fashion Week, where designers are presenting their spring/summer 2023 lines, wraps on Monday.



France's Christian Lacroix Label Heads for Spanish Ownership

Christian Lacroix was created in 1987 by the eponymous designer, with the support of luxury giant LVMH, which sold it in 2005 to Falic Group. (AFP)
Christian Lacroix was created in 1987 by the eponymous designer, with the support of luxury giant LVMH, which sold it in 2005 to Falic Group. (AFP)
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France's Christian Lacroix Label Heads for Spanish Ownership

Christian Lacroix was created in 1987 by the eponymous designer, with the support of luxury giant LVMH, which sold it in 2005 to Falic Group. (AFP)
Christian Lacroix was created in 1987 by the eponymous designer, with the support of luxury giant LVMH, which sold it in 2005 to Falic Group. (AFP)

The Spanish fashion group Sociedad Textil Lonia (STL) announced Tuesday it had reached an agreement to buy France's Christian Lacroix label, hoping to return the once-mighty brand to its former glory.

The deal to acquire Lacroix from US-based Falic group, which specializes in duty-free retail, was for an undisclosed amount in a "private transaction", STL said.

"By acquiring Maison Lacroix, with its treasure of archives and rich history of French haute couture, STL expands its brand portfolio, strengthening its international presence in the world of high fashion," STL stated in a press release.

"We will do everything we can to ensure that the unique talent of its creator and his invaluable contribution to the world of fashion reach their full potential," the group added.

Christian Lacroix was created in 1987 by the eponymous designer, with the support of luxury giant LVMH, which sold it in 2005 to Falic Group.

In 2009, following financial difficulties, the brand implemented a court-ordered recovery plan that resulted in around 100 job cuts and the discontinuation of haute couture operations.

Lacroix, now aged 73, left the group in 2010.

Having spent decades dressing celebrities, he turned to working for ballet and opera productions, as well as collaborating with other labels such as Dries Van Noten.

"The Spanish family that owns STL had the elegance to contact me ahead of the official announcement about the acquisition of the Christian Lacroix name and archives," he told Vogue Business on Tuesday. "We will probably meet soon in an informal way."

Founded in Spain in 1997, STL is a fashion company behind Spanish ready-to-wear brand Purificacion Garcia and the label of Venezuelan-American designer Carolina Herrera, employing 2,500 people and operating 600 stores worldwide, according to its website.