Invitations for Giorgio Armani’s Privé haute couture show arrived with a satin pouch containing three vials of his new fragrance, Laque — a teaser for a collection that paid homage to Asia as seen through an Art Deco prism.
Having traded the cavernous Palais de Chaillot for more intimate venues, the designer took over a succession of salons in the Hôtel d’Evreux for his leisurely display, which drew A-listers including Uma Thurman, Céline Dion, Juliette Binoche, Dakota Fanning and Amber Heard.
In line with the Jazz Age theme, models wore snug flapper caps dripping with beaded fringe, or miniature conical hats with stiff veils. The show kicked off with a pair of shiny metallic gray trouser suits with graphic Art Deco motifs, establishing the season’s ruler-straight shoulder line.
Giorgio Armani Privé Couture Spring 2019
86 Photos
That power shoulder was a recurring motif, appearing on a zigzag-patterned pink and gray jacket, as well as on evening looks such as a fiery red sequined dress topped with a matching buttonless crocodile coat that had an almost liquid sheen.
Indeed, the collection was awash in scarlet, a color not normally associated with the king of greige, but one that tied in neatly with the lacquer theme, not to mention bringing good luck in Chinese culture. Most often, Armani paired it with an equally vibrant hue of electric blue — a love-it-or-leave-it proposition, as it turned out.
The most captivating aspect of the expansive collection — an impressive 86 looks in total — was the way he played with slick surface effects to catch the light. A sequence of black sequined outfits had a glittering sparkle that seemed tailor-made for the red carpet — no Kirakira filter required.