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MILAN, Italy — Just a couple of days ago, Emporio Armani unveiled its new advertising campaign, featuring real people from all over the world and from all walks of life united under the hashtag #wearsEA. After the rationalisation of Armani's brand portfolio, the plan for Emporio Armani — younger and more irreverent in spirit, if not necessarily target demographic — was to transform it into a hub, where everybody can find a piece and define their individuality accordingly. It's the holy grail of today's increasingly homogenised times: to promote singularity with a medium such as fashion which toys with both convention and rebellion.
The Emporio Armani show today was titled, aptly, #wearsEA and the collection was billed as an exploration of differences and diversity. Don't be fooled, however: Mr Armani is a lover of sobriety and a master of control, so chaos was definitely out of the question. For all the talk of variety, the collection was, in fact, rather monotonous, mostly due to the dark and sophisticated palette of blacks, blues and grays. But diversity was in the details of impeccably tailored suits with small jackets and fluid pants, embroidered velvet tops and bombers, slouchy knits and eccentric bags and shoes with fur patches.
What kept it all together was the idea of elegance: a nighttime, decadent take on velvety sophistication that actually seemed at odds with the metropolitan spirit of this line and more apt for the Giorgio Armani mainline. It all worked in the end, but the wider notion of inclusivity and the concept of the Emporio brand as a hub did not fully materialise.
