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MILAN (AP) - The last word was left to Giorgio Armani, who closed Milan Fashion Week with a show that not only summed up next summer's diaphanous look but perfected it.
This has been a hands-off season for fashion, with soft, shear fabrics resting loosely on the body, a look embraced even by designers whose clothes traditionally hug the figure.
Who better to pull it off than Giorgio Armani, whose relaxed styles have caressed rather than grabbed the body for over three decades, starting with his lining-less jacket in the late 1970s?
In his summer 2014 collection previewed Monday, the designer used different lightweight fabrics to create shadowy layers, or mixed silks and knits to create a pale shimmering effect.
As in many of the collections seen this time in Milan, Armani stuck to a pastel palette for his delicate styles, with flashes of bright shades such as deep-sea blue and coral red. Tiny floral embroidery, always an Armani favorite, lent an even more feminine touch to the summer look.
But no matter what the fabric or the workmanship, the final result was an outfit that came to life in movement, revealing its intrinsic natural beauty.
By day, the latest Armani style is a small jacket over a soft flared skirt, or a longer jacket matched with an extra-short pants skirt. The Armani night is perfect for a luxury graduation ceremony, with oversized caps and flowing floral gowns. Armani footwear next summer is a casual bootie sandal.
Many of the outfits were accompanied by a sequined kerchief that doubled as a necklace, a playful look that Armani introduced during his Emporio collection.
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