Giorgio Armani picked up his sharpest HB pencil and drew a new spring collection featuring draftsman-like graphic lines. Stripes, checks, criss-crossed and broken lines blanketed the entire collection - from the slip-on rubber soled footwear to hooded sweatshirts, button down shirts and even slim trouser suiting. The show opened with the strongest iteration of this architecturally-tinged concept. Here, Armani reigned in his idea with a marksman focus on perfectly cut slim black suiting that was punched only by the splintered lines of graphic black and white shirting. The look was supremely clean and cool, boosted by the small tweaks the designer made to his thinner lapels, narrower ankles and lower waistlines. Stripes are shaping up to be a huge hit for spring and Mr Armani offered an endless array of them. While the silk chiffon, extra wide or high colour versions struck an odd note, the majority of this collection hit the mark.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
