Giorgio Armani presents a 'Rhapsody in Blue' at Milan fashion show

By Marie-Louise Gumuchian

MILAN (Reuters) - Veteran designer Giorgio Armani dedicated his main winter line to the colour blue at Milan Fashion Week on Saturday, presenting his usual sleek, elegant and tailored looks in mainly darker tones, mixed only with black.

The 84-year-old designer, affectionately called "King Giorgio" in his native Italy, gave his audience a taste of what to expect ahead of the presentation of more than 100 womens' and menswear looks, with a blue-light setting at his Armani/Silos museum venue, the first time he hosted a runway show there.

For the "Rhapsody in Blue" Autumn/Winter 2019 collection, women wore short jackets that had round collars, were lined with different shades of blue and worn over T-shirts or silky shirts.

There were also pencil coats and shiny blousons. Prints appeared on suits, sometimes almost dye-like, abstract or with knots.

Black trousers were slim or voluminous on the side - almost jodhpur-like - with buttons, and usually came above the ankle. Other trousers were ribbed and knotted at the waist or smooth satin-like.

There were strapless tops, worn with trousers and a large fabric belt. Feminine florals adorned one-shouldered tops, while all black frilly shirts came out of low V-neck jackets.

"Deep and vibrant, the Armani shade par excellence pervades everything, defining a timeless, velvety elegance that is perfectly balanced," show notes read.

Armani used plenty of velvet on jackets, coats, cloaks, hats, trousers and evening jumpsuits and dresses, which also glittered with sparkling embellishments or intricate beading. Some had sheer fronts, shoulders or backs.

A selection of evening jackets were decorated with sparkling sequined florals.

For men, midnight blue tailored suits dominated the catwalk. Models wore double-breasted blazers, coats, parkas and anoraks on top of printed shirts and striped ties. There were also velvet pieces and dark knits.

Models also wore an array of sunglasses - from aviator style to sleek shades.

At the end of the show and to loud applause and cheers from the audience, Armani, himself dressed all in blue, walked out onto the catwalk, holding and then kissing the hand of one of his models.

(Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Paul Simao)