L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 4 MARIELLA RADAELLI NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS Accents of Style: Giorgio Ar mani's accessories that matter G iorgio Armani never sacrificed the freedom of imagi- nation to produce his pure forms. He always worked around that idea of freedom as essential to his aesthetics, and a source of his pleasure in the beauty. "We must never become pris- oners," says the iconic Italian fashion designer who personally curated Accents of Style, the current exhibition at the Armani/Silos Fashion and Art Museum in south Milan, at Via Borgognone 40. The show is the very first ret- rospective and also a crossover dedicated to his accessories. Very well- designed, it integrates art and technology, with a sense of thematic coherence and glim- mers of a narrative. Accents of Style displays the biggest collec- tions of bags, footwear, and jew- elry for women created by the iconic master of casual chic. Some 850 items are divided into the major recurring themes in his work. The Ethnic theme evokes distant lands through a sensual opulence of symbols expressed by a color palette of earth tones. Animal Prints highlights his leather artistry, bringing a feel- ing of exotic locales. The Metropolis theme, inspired by contemporary art, epitomizes the precision and cleanliness of the lines and celebrates multicultur- alism. The pieces in the Neo- classical section are quintessen- tial of a sense of equilibrium, another trait of his philosophy. Those accessories are featured in all-natural hues and are versatile to mix and match. If the Two- Tone section creates optical effects and contrasts, by juxta- posing black with white, the Color Block theme is pure avant-garde, with the power of red and a purple-blue. Shimmers of Light is a subject employed in some court shoes, clutch bags and handbags infused with understated glim- mer. Finally, Night-Time, reveals the evening imagined by the designer: the code of seduc- tion leans on sophisticated black, achromatic grays or it can range from dusty pink to light blue, with drops of light for a timeless style that transcends the current rules of excess. The 85-year-old master of understated design, who is a per- fectionist, understood the impor- tance of accessories a long time ago before they were taken seri- ously by the fashion industry. The power of accessories never escaped his notice. Clean lines and colors characterize Armani's accessories (Photo courtesy of Giorgio Armani) Giorgio Armani says hello to fans (Photo: Dreamstime) Continued to page 6

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