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By Jessica Bailey

MFW: At Emporio Armani, Lightness Was Key

Cut for ventilation, Mr. Armani gave us something to smile about with EA’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, and a lesson in proper holiday dressing

emporio-armani-SS24 — Italian designer Giorgio Armani poses with models on the runway at the end of the Emporio Armani fashion show during the Milan Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 on September 21, 2023 in Milan. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP) (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP via Getty Images)

Is it at all strange that we find a smiling model on the runway…strange? In the land of high-end fashion, we’re not at all used to it. But at Emporio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2024 show in Milan, the big, knowing smiles of its cast only served to accentuate the Maison’s theme: lightness.

A radiant, weightless collection made from the lightest of fabrics elegantly cascaded down the runway in organised color. Constructed for ventilation and firmly rooted in femininity, flowing separates in warm, golden beiges and cool silver greys—all loose, most translucent–were accented with deep black, bold accessories; belts, bags, shades, necklaces. A chartreuse and grape color palette—the string bags are a must-have this EA season—progressed the holiday dressing mode, before purply pinks were splashed across long dancing skirts, iridescent bodices, dresses with almost cartoonish necklines, and headwear. With references to Giorgio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection in September last year—a celebration of light and purity—Mr. Armani might be 89 years old, but shows no signs of slowing down despite his offerings encouraging us all to do just that.

“This collection is entirely based on lightness,” Mr. Armani said after the show. “I think we could all use a little more lightness in our lives but experiencing it is often a challenge. Perhaps it is easier to achieve in clothing.”

It was a wonderfully airy and easy reprieve from the intense Milan Fashion Week show schedule. And for fashion journalists braving the rain and hail in the fashion capital this week, who wouldn’t be smiling about that?

See standout looks from Emporio Armani’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection below, or you can watch the show here.