Armani dives into social media with Armani Tweet Talks

giorgio armani by andy warhol via interview magazine

Better late than never. The Armani Group has just announced an interesting new social media initiative: a series of moderated live fashion discussions with hand-picked panels of industry notables, to be published on Twitter. Called Armani Tweet Talks, the first will take place on June 1st as part of the One Night Only in Beijing event and the focus of the discussion will be the growing importance of China. The inaugural panel will consist of: moderator Peter Howarth, who is described on the release as an "editor and author"; Angelina Cheung, editor in chief of Vogue China; Hung Huang, "publisher, blogger, tv commentator and tastemaker" (who is elsewhere described as “China’s Oprah”); fashion journalist Godfrey Deeny; Yoox founder and ceo Federico Marchetti and bloggers Susanna Lau aka Susie Bubble and Tommy Ton from jakandjil.com. There is, naturally, a hashtag: #ArmaniTeetTalks and if you want to view the discussion in a live chat forum, the company has created a dedicated live space: ArmaniTweetTalks. You can also ask the panel questions – starting now. The release describes Armani Tweet Talks as "a truly pioneering initiative". We're inclined to agree. 

Tom Bull covers Wish

In October, frockwriter reported that Tom Bull was rapidly making his mark in the menswear business, scoring campaigns for US brands Perry Ellis, Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic. In the interim, the 22 year-old Perth native has become part of the new Australian male model power posse on the international runway show circuit. At the Milan Fall/Winter 2012/2013 menswear shows in January, not only did Bull walk in Giorgio Armani's show, he also shot his first magazine cover and two fashion editorials inside the new Armani Hotel on Via Manzoni. The client was The Australian's luxury magazine Wish, for the April design and architecture edition, which is out next week. Here is a first look. 
 

The shock of the nude at Armani Privé

There was no sign of Lady GaGa, either in the flesh or spirit, at Giorgio Armani's Fall/Winter 2010/2011 haute couture presentation, which concluded a little over an hour ago. GaGa has become something of a walking endorsement for Armani's haute couture line, decked out in Armani Privé for various appearances (and undoubtedly paid a handsome fee to do so). But there were no one-shouldered unitards or globe dresses in Paris today. Instead, a suite of softly-draped, ladylike - and a little Versace-esque - suits and shifts in biscuit colours, sculptural duchess satin sack dresses and signature embellished sheaths. The latter, sure to turn up on another Armani acolyte, Cate Blanchett. Once again, as the highres shots roll in, here are a few of the real-time runway images captured by Now Fashion. Head to the website to see the rest of the collection.

Did Armani crib Elton John's sunglasses from World?

terence koh/matt williams via purple diary


“The accessories - and the crystal suit - are fantastically camp. Elvis Presley might be long gone, but there's always Elton John”. So wrote frockwriter in September 2008 after visiting the Auckland HQ of NZ fashion brand World and being dazzled by the mad Swarovski crystal-embellished suits and accessories of its 'There is no depression' Autumn/Winter 2009 collection. The collection, which had just walked the runway at New Zealand Fashion Week, had been inspired by 1970s fashion icon Tina Chow. Well blow me down with a burlesque feather if Elton John didn't turn up at last week’s Grammy Awards for his duet with Lady Gaga in a pair of dead ringers for World’s fly-like crystal-studded sunglasses.

Frockwriter missed the broadcast of the Grammys and didn’t really pay much attention to the since widely distributed wider angle shots of the duo on stage.

But we did do a double take when we spotted this very clear Purple Diary shot, above, of Canadian artist Terence Koh "wearing Elton John’s Armani Privé glasses during Lady Gaga and Elton John’s Grammy rehearsals". Koh created the spectacular piano on which the duo performed their duet.

Whether or not it's due the different angles of the two photos, there does appear to be some slight discrepancy between these glasses sported by Koh and those finally worn by Elton John on stage (below). Perhaps Armani created several versions for him to choose from.

Given that World was referencing a 1970s New York fashion scene icon for its collection, perhaps the designers had an archival shot from that era on their inspiration board that season.

But then, perhaps Armani’s haute couture atelier had a shot from World’s show on its own, who's to say?

In any event, reports World, their glasses have since been purchased by the National Gallery of Victoria and are currently on display in Melbourne.


getty via daylife


world aw09/anzfw


self portrait at world

Hands on: The tactile photographic oeuvre of Posh and Becks

You’ve got to hand it to Giorgio Armani. His runway collections don’t thrill like they used to, but his advertising campaigns sure do. Notably, those for his underwear. Just released, this latest Emporio Armani underwear campaign featuring husband-and-wife mod team Victoria and David Beckham. No, it’s not the first time the duo has modelled together. In fact it's the second time they have done it for Armani. And the Beckhams, who celebrate their 10 year wedding anniversary tomorrow, continue to provide compelling evidence that sexual magnetism does not have to evaporate from long-term relationships - at least not when the cameras are rolling. Over the past six years they have posed for a steamy oeuvre of images for, among others, Vogue Italia Sport magazine, their own Intimately fragrance - and not forgetting Steven Klein's Beckham ahem, spread, for the August 2007 edition of W. In so many of the images (below), they can't keep their hands off each other - or indeed, themselves.




steven klein for w/thebosh.com


just jared


vogue italia sport/thebosh.com

Beyond thunderthighs: Tina Turner weighs in on microminis, high energy workouts and runway 'rumps' at Armani

Such is the size of Giorgio Armani's business, that he usually has not one but three shows during Milan Fashion Week to present his collections (two for his signature line and one for Emporio Armani). Make that four this season. Five hours after seeing the main Armani show, I find myself wandering around a retrospective of his work which has just opened at the Triennale.

The last leg of a travelling show which originally kicked off at the Guggenheum Museum in New York in 2000, and which will now terminate in Milan, it's an exhaustive exhibition comprised of hundreds of garments ranging from the designer's first collections through to the most recent (having clearly been updated along the way).

Of particular note, a Hollywood room that features a number of dresses and suits worn either in films as costumes or on the red carpet by a myriad of stars, from Richard Gere to Jodie Foster, Ornella Muti, Katie Holmes, Leonardo di Caprio and Tina Turner. As you walk from room to room, wording on a series of large wall plaques provides a running ode to the minimalist maestro.

A few cases in point:

"It is Giorgio Armani's successful mediation of the complex and sometimes contradictory impulses of contemporary fashion that has come to define the image of dress in our time.... The minimalist cut, inseparable from the Armani name, is a reflection of the rising democratisation of contemporary society".

"Armani has always believed that fashion should be simple, pure and clean.... Minimalism in fashion is sometimes criticised as being dull, but it is never so with Armani".

"The subtle richness of the Armani style is achieved by the designer's virtuoso poising of contradictory elements into a delicate and serene balance".

"While the Armani palette encompasses the entire colour spectrum it is the designer's expressive range of neutrals that is most closely associated with his oeuvre.... The ambiguous results have inspired fashion writers to poetic evocations of moss, lichen and even mist to describe the subtle richness of his colours".

Beginning in 2004 however, some four years after this exhibition opened, Armani's collections have tended to inspire some fashion writers to a few other evocations - in fact, some quite trenchant criticisms.

Armani has since said that he doesn't care what fashion writers say. It's not that there aren't some beautiful clothes in his collections. The eveningwear in particular is striking. It's just that Armani's shows tend to be a little like his museum retrospective: Armani's greatest hits, as opposed to Armani pushing the edges of fashion's current creative envelope, which is what the fashion press would really like to see. But what do we know anyway?

The fussy styling frequently also seems anathema to the designer's minimalist mantra of "simple, pure and clean".

In the autumn/winter 0708 show at least, he stripped the styling back to one sequin-covered skullcap for every model.

Beyond the interminable bubble and tulip skirts there was some spectacular eveningwear, notably one silver, bugle-beaded and fringed flapper skirt and the finale dress, a scintillating, Swarovski crystal-encrusted sheath that would no doubt look fabulous on Cate Blanchett should Blanchett, as Armani has claimed she will, committ to wear Armani at the upcoming Academy Awards.

Just as I am pondering the 600th outfit, and the umpteenth ode, I stumble upon Armani muse, Tina Turner. Besieged by photographers at the 3pm show, it was virtually impossible to approach her then. Wandering through the moodily-lit exhibition, she was happy to stop for a quick chat:

Your thoughts on the exhibition?
Tina Turner: Well I have quite a few things that are here (laughs), I think in my closet. I could make something look like this. Yeah, I have many of his clothes. I collect them. Some of them are so beautiful, that I don't wear them that often but it's just an inspiration to look at the beading and the work that went into it. So that was nice to see. The show this evening was...it's always just inspired me to really want to make sure that I stay in shape and that I look good. It's that kind of a motivation for me when I watch his shows. It really is.

That's an interesting comment in the context of the current skinny model debate.
Well yes I think it is possible....but also I know, I've seen a few of the ones now where girls with heavy rumps are walkin' the rampway.

The heavy what?
The heavy backsides. And that doesn't look so good. So I think it's difficult to really get the right size to please everybody. But it's not about the model anyhow, it's about the clothes.

I noticed in the Hollywood room, nestled amongst the long flowing Oscar columns and red carpet ballgowns, is one beaded microdress - with your name on it.
(Laughs)

Have you only ever worn short dresses? It's been something of a signature hasn't it?
Well yes I work, you know, my high energy working and I used to wear the (long) gowns and it was very glamorous but it just wasn't my style and I was falling about and tearing them and ripping them. And I just started to wear the short dresses and I stayed with it. It was comfortable, it worked for me and that was why.

Do you still wear them?
Yeah, I'm looking to try to change but I haven't actually replaced it because usually when I do short shows, only 45minutes to an hour long, I wear boots, short dresses, because it's kind of expected. If I come out in a gown, everybody goes like, 'What happened here?'

What is the secret to your longevity?
I think I did something right along the way obviously because it's a very young crowd that is still inspired by me and my work and what I've done. When I listen to my music it still really sounds really quite current, so it means when I was there doing the work I did it the best I could and I think I made the right choices. And I think that is why I'm lasting as well as I am in this business.

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"Crazy shit" with Leo and Beyonce

"TEXT YOUR BLOG." So said a prompt that just went up on one of the giant screens here at Brompton Hall in London. And who am I to argue with Mr Armani? So here I am blogging live via BlackBerry from the dancefloor of the Armani One Night Only party in the very glamorous ... wait for it ... Earl's Court.

But what a party. The old silver fox certainly knows how to throw a do. Where shall I start? Leonardo, Beyonce, Bryan Ferry, 50 Cent, Bono, Ashley Judd, Kevin Spacey, Orlando Bloom ... there are so many celebs here it's hard to work out who is who.

It feels like being back at New York Fashion Week, that's how starved London has been of celebs for the past week.

The difference being that they are partying amongst us here and not just posing for photo ops (although they did that too). Or at least some are still here.

It's all in aid of AIDS and although the cynic in me would like to know precisely how many high-profilers present donate even a fraction of their whopping incomes to charity, I guess if they can throw their weight behind a cause like AIDS in Africa then well... they're using their power for good.

I have no doubt that that's what they want us to think at any rate.

Prior to the party, the host held a massive fashion show in which designs by Emporio Armani, Armani black label, Armani Prive and the new Armani Red collection were on parade. For the latter, Armani has hooked with up with the Bobby Shriver/Bono-initiated Product Red campaign, with a percentage of profits going to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Blind tenor Andrea Bocelli sang while the Armani Prive collection came out – that's Armani's haute couture line. It was quite magnificent.

But I just couldn't help thinking to myself, "Oh well, at least he's oblivious to the silly cocktail hats".

I have been trying to find out how this compares to the last big bash done in London, but so far have not been able to get a sensible answer out of anyone.

The fact that they are all very drunk – particularly Kimberley Stewart, it appears – probably isn't helping things.

Apart from comments and grabs from the celebrity hordes on the red carpet – actually make that the blue carpet (on which Bono fell over) – in the company of a zillion other media reps (par for the course obviously in a situation like this of course), I did get one exclusive titbit for the blog however.

It was uttered just after Beyonce shook her booty on stage, one of several live performances that included Ferry and 50 Cent. After the latter performed, just metres from us, Sydney photographer Marty Whitsitt and I looked at each other and said, almost in unison, "this is surreal".

A little earlier on, Leonardo di Caprio, adjacent to whom I happened to be standing at that particular moment, was obviously equally impressed - and you would figure he would be a little harder to gobsmack than Marty or moi.

As Beyonce exited the stage di Caprio said, to no one in particular:

"That was some crazy shit there."

He did have a point.


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