If the most interesting man in the world needs a wardrobe update before his next trip to Fiji or Bali, he’ll likely be pleased with Giorgio Armani’s new spring menswear collection. The line, entitled “Crossing Borders,” continues an industry trend toward laid back, travel-inspired clothing. Wide-leg pants in cotton, linen and silk were paired with padless jackets, and even the denim pieces on display at the company’s Milan runway show were thin and airy.
“Men need less structured clothing today,” Armani told Women’s Wear Daily. “Their bodies have changed — and improved — and I also think they’re a lot more daring in the way they dress.”
Patterns were subdued and mainly featured ornate, geometric motifs that hinted at sun-drenched Italian tiles, while light seersucker jackets raised the profile on some outfits without giving too much away to formality. Panama hats and suede shoes rounded out the holiday look.
Armani was seen in much scantier wear on his own vacation last year, and the show was not without a little deserved vanity out of the 82-year-old designer. The audience reportedly broke into applause at the sight of a sweater featuring the designer’s face.
Armani stated that he was trying, with his roomy collection, to create a “counterpoint to those asphyxiating cigarette pants.” For many men, it will be a welcome development.