STYLE Edit: Giorgio Armani stays out after dark with nocturnally themed winter 2019 men’s collection
Soft tailoring dominates the men’s Uomo collection, which sees Italian luxury designer Giorgio Armani play with high-low hybridity and micro-flocking techniques – while exploring elegant shades of the theme colour, blue
The nocturnal theme at the Giorgio Armani Winter 2019 show was not exclusive to women. On the mixed runway at the Armani/Silos exhibition space in Milan, male models featured in sophisticated yet comfortable nighttime ensembles, intrinsically united with their feminine counterparts by the Armani shade of the season: blue.
Giorgio Armani said of the winter 2019 collection, which was unveiled at Milan Fashion Week last month: “I worked directly on this concept, conceiving a Thursday night evening event in Milan – Giorgio’s at Armani Privé – in which I could consolidate my ideal vision of nocturnal life. But I did not stop there: I also created a collection specifically dedicated to this event, combining lissom clothes for women with sharp suits for men, offering my own personal vision of how I perceive the night.”
An intense yet still elegant shade, the blue colour theme found its way in blazers, silk shirts, drawstring trousers and a multitude of accessories made for when the sun goes down.
Soft tailoring dominated the men’s Uomo collection, as seen on a double-breasted blazer in blue cashmere with flap pockets. The jacket was paired with a white cotton shirt featuring a casual mandarin collar. Patterned trousers in two-toned blue wool finished the look and featured an effortless high-low drawstring, evoking the recurring motif of comfortable, sophisticated evening wear.
Our favourite blue moment in the menswear collection was perhaps Armani’s midnight blue velvet, which we saw on short double-breasted blazers, parkas and coats. The effect of the tufted fabric on these sharp, modern cuts was something moody and luxuriant, yet also very much relaxed.
The designer also played with high-low hybridity in the execution of denim-effect fabrics, as seen on a single-breasted cashmere jacket with notched lapels, and herringbone trousers.
We also noted a micro-flocking technique in select menswear pieces. Flocking, or the process of depositing small fibres onto fabric, offered a subtle textural richness in suit jackets and trousers. Armani seemed unafraid of the technique, opting to flock an entire ensemble.
A micro-flocked pattern appeared on a double-breasted jacket, three-buttoned waistcoat and trousers with pressed pleats. However, instead of looking excessively tactile, the flock pattern was tempered by the suit’s classic grey and black tones, resulting in something quite fresh and wearable for a night out on the town.
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