Armani Prive’ – Women’s Fashion Fall Winter 2007 2008

An interesting tendency has developed on the streets of Milan. The hottest accessory is a large bag purse in fabrics simulating metals. They are gold, silver, platinum. They are bright and shiny, very futuristic. This creates a problem. Last seasons Women’s Winter fashion was retro 50s, 60s, and 70s. How will this play out in the upcoming Women’s Fall and Winter Fashion?



Glancing through the Armani Prive’ designs for Women’s Fall Winter 2007 2008 I was truly astounded. The fabrics and designs, while picking up on the retro look, incorporate sleek, shiny, futuristic details. Either today’s woman has an uncanny sense of fashion tendencies or the designers are all in sink. Perhaps the truth is a little of both.








Another interesting characteristic of the Fall Winter designs is the importance of the decolte. While I love to see skin, Fall Winter just does not seem right. Perhaps because Raffaella and I spend hours talking about how cold it will be, does the place have air conditioning, and how many layers of clothing she has to put on both in winter and summer. She has now named herself Shrek, “Ogres are like onions…”








Perhaps Armani knows women well. Another part of the line is dedicate to form fitting jackets to go along with flowing skirts. This may be his way to say, “I know it is cold, wear this jacket over the top and then take it off when things warm up. Either way you will look fantastic.”









The Armani Prive’ Women’s Fall Winter 2007 2008 fashion is full of some marvelous outfits. It is worth a look. These final designs are the outfits I believe Raffaella would love.

Tags: Women's Fashion Italian Designers Womens Fall Winter Armani Fashion Accessories Travel Italy

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Italian Handbags for Fall / Winter 2007 / 2008 – Armani

The sales of summer fashion have begun. Shortly fall and winter items will appear. The summer handbag fashion was about soft fabrics with country textiles and antique patterns. The fall winter handbag fashion is refined with polished leathers and shiny reptile skins. It is as if the handbag is represents leaving the provincial summer homes and farms to return to the sophistication of the big city. The summer handbags are not very structured, easily bent or folded while the fall winter handbags could easily be mistaken for a family doctor’s handbag from another time if they were not made of the softest leathers.

Armani has just presented his two, top of the line, women’s handbags for fall winter 2008. They are elegant and sleek. They retain the large dimensions of the softer cloth bags. The Bau is a large bag of polished leather with polished brass fittings. It is rectangular in form, almost boxy.

The Venus bag tries to embody the beauty its name implies. Still a large bag but with rounded corners and sleek lines. The varnished blue Python skin is elegance defined. The shape is an elongated rectangle increasing the internal capacity. I think Armani is saying that he is tending toward the glamorous look of Grace Kelly and Elisabeth Taylor.
Both bags have a very large addressable market. They have a basic theme of youth and vibrancy with the elegance of pearls. They are the joy of many a woman. When she saw how large these purse are, Raffaella simply exclaimed, “WOW!” Armani will be expensive but one of these purses may be the only one you want to carry. Perhaps spending more will result in spending less.

For the men out there these are a perfect gift. This is one time where we cannot go wrong. Who knows our lovely ladies may even reevaluate our sense of style.

Tags: Women's Fashion Italian Designers Womens Fall Winter Armani Fashion Accessories Travel Italy

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Armani – Italian Men’s Fashion Spring Summer 2007

The spring is one of my favorite times to change a suit, add a couple of ties, and maybe update my dress shirts. My first review of the spring and summer men’s fashion left me a bit disturbed and I am not the type to run around in Bermuda shorts, kaki pants, or surfer attire. My idea about clothes has always been buy what you like, what expresses your style. Sometimes that will take you into the high end of the price range. In these cases I buy fewer pieces but I always get what I like. This year means that I will be buying a few things from Armani, Valentino, and Canali. Ties obviously will be Versace and perhaps a casual chic shirt or pullover from Trussardi.

In the fray of really eccentric men’s summer fashion Armani’s traditional values of style and grace flow into his designs. Sure there are the shoes with no socks, the jackets that are one size too small and tight knit pullover shirts underneath a gray, pen striped, suit but they do not distract from the underlying quality of materials, clean designs and interesting fabrics. Since my budget will be limited I have divided the designs into the various ways they would be used.

This first group would be great for evening drinks or perhaps those occasions where the dress is casual but you are just not into the kaki lifestyle. The jackets give just a bit of formality and are always a great compliment.

For the casual day, perhaps with a younger crowd, the slacks and pullover are clean looks while not moving standing out as too formal.


Beach bumming or a day on the sailboat with the right crowd could be the opportunity to wear these things. Personally this is not my case. When I go sailing I like to spend times with friends and would never wear anything I had to worry about getting dumped into the water.


When jeans are the choice of the day these slacks with jacket combinations are great. They can easily match with light colored boat shoes or even some low top tennis shoes. Perhaps you want to be the most exclusive at the tennis or soccer match. This is the look for you.


These are my choice for the season. I wear suits just about every day of the year so most of my clothing budget goes toward suits or slacks/jacket combinations. The ladies are also a nice accessory. I wonder of they come with the purchase.

Tags: Men's Fashion Italian Designers Armani Mens Spring Summer Lombardia href="http://technorati.com/tag/Fashion" rel="tag">Fashion Travel Italy

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Italian Women’s High Fashion Spring-Summer 2007 - Giorgio Armani Prive’

Armani does it again. I am always impressed with the capability to design truly beautiful and unique clothes that can easily be adapted to everyday wear. Giorgio Armani’s Prive’ Spring-Summer 2007 line is innovative, classical, provocative, yet graceful. While a few outfits are formal only, Armani’s Prive’ collection will be found in the offices of Milan starting in the early spring. In traditional Armani, jackets are draped and crossed. The fabrics, adorned with pearls embedded in the silk and lace, create unique patterns and textures. Slacks are skintight. As with Valentino, shoulder pads are part of the mix.


Embroidered fabrics are also an important part of the line as are the foulard and turbans. The press release indicates the company’s intention to emulate the traditional oriental designs. I get more of a 1930s feel. The dominant color is a grey, from charcoal to silver, as if he were trying to create a contrast between the 30s exuberance and the neutral colors worn by the upper class ladies of the day. The base metal colors insinuate elegance. When they are combined with the flowing and gay 30s designs and the fabrics are luxurious silks and opulent laces, the resulting outfit creates emotion and interest through subliminal contrast. The fabrics flow over a woman’s body, elongating the lines, revealing the feminine curves while covering with the puritan colors.



The most versatile designs are the wraps. Traditional Armani these are open cloth skirts the close in the front with an overlay. While elegant the skirt can be matched with an existing silk blouse to accommodate most situations. The pearl adorned top steps things up a notch.


The skintight sleek pants underneath another outfit is also quite versatile. The pants give an air of playful youth. I would think they are also quite comfortable allowing movement without having to worry about showing off too much.




These are my favorites. While I think these are appropriate for both work and more formal occasions these may be a bit much in some office environments. The designs are elegant and the fabrics have luxurious designs and textures. I think any woman wearing these will feel like a million bucks.


These designs will be harder to work into an everyday routine but they are fabulous. I would lose the large trailing veil. These are soft and voluptuous, very feminine and a bit snooty but with these outfits one can afford to be a bit snooty.


Tags: High Fashion Armani Milan Women's Fashion Italian Fasion Travel Italy

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