Designer Giorgio Armani had his Ready-To-Wear Show on Monday, the last day of the Milan Fashion Week and post that hosted a press conference where he lashed out at Vogue Editrix, Anna Wintour, Miuccia Prada and Dolce and Gabbana.
Womens Wear Daily (WWD) reported this:
Giorgio Armani had this to say on Anna Wintour, who did not attend the show: “There are some who prefer to snub the Giorgio Armani show and go to Paris. Why should I always be the moron to be penalized because of a person, who, for better or for worse, like or dislike it, is powerful? I feel penalized. She said she was sending her people. But if you go to see your dentist and he puts you in the hands of his assistant, what’s your reaction? They told me ‘She went to see the Privé in Paris; she has no time to see the ready-to-wear in Milan.’ She is influential and powerful. But, perhaps, I’m influential as well.”
Armani vented out on Prada by saying, “It’s very easy to do a V-neck dress with a bold print. It’s more difficult to make a suit or a jacket look new. It’s easier to freewheel.”
Giorgio Armani trivialised Dolce & Gabbana’s Enchanted Forest show by saying, “I wanted to bring an owl with me this morning. I think that the exaltation of the idea that designers can be just completely free to express their fantasy is really dangerous. I’m very happy that others do what they do. I respect my colleagues. I’m happy with what I do, but I feel like a black swan in doing clothes with a function and with an attention to the commercial aspect.”
Wintour’s camp responded with the dental-assistant equivalent of an apology: “Anna has the greatest respect for Giorgio Armani and everything he has done for Italy and fashion worldwide,” a rep for Vogue told WWD. “Unfortunately, with the fashion calendar now running for more than a month, there are some shows that Anna is not able to attend.”
It is incredibly difficult to do a suit or a jacket, and in a way, no one does it better than Mr. Armani, we’ve all learned from him and continue to reference his work. Not rip off his designs, but simply get a better idea of form, fall and clean, crisp finishing for example. However, the brand needs a contemporary shot in the arm, their trademark styling has turned a little staid and the line up can be yawn inducing, I guess that is why Ms. Anna decided to skip…
Lately, I do think Prada doesn’t deserve the hype, I understand Mr. Armani’s frustration in that regard.
Commercialism aside, clothes should be functional. You pay thousands of dollars, at least you should have a piece that isn’t a problem to wear.
Dolce outshines..but I think they have had more successful presentations in the past. I think it was cute; using the owl, not new but cute. Dolce & Gabbana succeed in bringing youthful fun to their collection, which automatically makes their pieces desirable that resonate with the masses.
Some of Armani’s looks are so matronly, stuck in the 80’s, I think it’s time to induct a new designer and work in tandem. It’s not easy, who possesses inspiring vision for a brand that lasts for decades? I am not writing off Mr. Armani, but some reevaluation is necessary.
LOL! Armani dissing Wintour! Must’ve been seriously pissed off! To his credit that D&G owl dress does look pretty lame. But c’mon, hasn’t Armani’s stuff been pretty same-same since like the 80’s???
BTW Jack. Can I request a post about some of the best costume designers in Bollywood and Hollywood films? Just watched Anna Karenina and it made my heart go all aflutter! And can you shed some light on the curious case of thee Indian Jegging???? A fugly but bizarrely enduring Indian fashion phenomenon.