Giovanni Giannon/WWD
A recent study undertaken by New York dress firm Jovani and distributed by Journalistic.org suggests that Giorgio Armani is the luckiest designer to wear during Hollywood award season.
Having analyzed key female categories at the Golden Globes, Emmys and Oscars from 2014, Jovani found that 13 percent of all actresses who wore Armani took home a trophy.
Armani’s Privé haute couture show for spring 2024 fell on the same day Oscar nominees were revealed, and therefore in the world of luck, there are no coincidences.
Should best-actress nominees Annette Bening, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Huller, Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone wish to hedge their bets, they better be prepared to wear expressive color, prints, shine and sparkle galore if they’re choosing their dress from the Privé runway.
Tuesday night found the Italian designer in an expressive, playful and experimental mood. He didn’t commit to moiré fabrics like Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri, despite what the Privé invitation and show set might have suggested.
Instead, he played within the register of delicacy, wanderlust and maximalism, often combining sheer, lace, pattern and crystals within a single outfit.
There was mastery at work in the layering of gossamer and jacquard fabrics, many in patterns that brought to mind the tropical wallpaper depicted in the opening credits of “White Lotus,” season one.
Tiny crystals dotted most fabrics, from the dense layers of dégradé handkerchief ruffles on a full-skirted ballgown to the heirloom lace tops, cardigan jackets and loose, kimono-like robes.
The press notes cited an “open embrace of different cultures,” yielding a “wholly imagined journey from West to East.” Armani’s strong design hand blurred any obvious references, imagining a “woman who takes something from every place she visits and makes it her own.”
The designer committed more to his intense, decorative motifs than silhouettes, knowing his clients, some more famous than others, span a variety of ages, nationalities and lifestyles.
Front-row guest Glenn Close could be seen admiring Armani’s fingertip-length jackets and lustrous pants; Google executive and Paris “It” girl Zita d’Hauteville snapping photos of the form-fitting mermaid gowns, and Gwyneth Paltrow eyeing the looser gowns with bohemian airs.
Among notable actresses who have scored a statue wearing Armani are Jessica Chastain at the 2022 Oscars, Renée Zellweger in 2020 at the Golden Globes, and Zendaya at the 2020 Emmys. In Jovani’s luck sweepstakes, the Italian maestro edged out Valentino, which came in second place. Prada was third.
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