While the eponymous luxury fashion house Giorgio Armani was technically founded in 1975, its presence in the 1980 film American Gigolo signalled its true birth. Practically a two hour Armani campaign, the titiluar gigolo, played by Richard Gere, swans around exclusively in Armani, cementing the notion that it is indeed the clothes that make the man. Doing away with the rigidity of the previous decade, Armani introduced a new type of dressing in the form of pastel colours, deconstructed brackets, double-breasted tailoring, and fluid fabrics; simultaneously sharp and louche.
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Over fourty years later, the codes introduced by Giorgio Armani are still in play. Presented in Milan, Italy, the Giorgio Armani SS22 Menswear show proved the enduring appeal of the relaxed, fluid genre of dressing. “On Via Borgonuovo, the place where it all began, Giorgio Armani explores once again the idea of clothing that frees instead of constricting, of carefree thoughts instead of carelessness, of classic as proof of progress,” read a statement from the Italian luxury fashion house, succinctly encapsulating the very nature of the Armani style.
Sophisticated yet comfortable, the Giorgio Armani SS22 Menswear show consisted of 77 looks, adhering to a slightly preppy, neutral colour palette of navy, reds, multiple shades of blue, black, cream, and tans. A plethora of black and navy suits with bold (but never stiff) shoulders were present; trousers took on a wider leg and paired with waistcoats, shackets, and silky blazers; and new silhouettes were proposed in the form of bermuda shorts teamed with luminous overshirts worn half-buttoned or mandarin collar shirts. Drawing some inspiration from the dynamism and ease-of-movement of sportswear, sharp lines were loosened and the definition of ‘suiting’ expanded to include a shirt and trousers in the same fabric or a silky blouson and trousers duo.
Words by AR Staff
