Late designer’s niece opts for natural womenswear look after Bottega Veneta features swishy yeti coats in faux fur
Does it matter who designs women’s clothes? Silvana Armani – niece of the late Giorgio, creative director of womenswear and one of the few women in charge of a fashion house – thinks so.
“The way women and men relate to their bodies is different, which affects the design process. Dressing a woman is more complex than dressing a man,” she said before her first solo show on the last day of Milan fashion week. “Yet, as a woman, you know your body. You try things on and notice if a jacket’s length is off, adjusting it as necessary.”
Chioma Nnadi, the head of editorial content for British Vogue, agreed: “I’ve heard anecdotally from retailers that women designers actually sell more on the shop floor. It makes total sense to me: they’re designing for their own bodies,” she said. “I think sometimes that wearability can get lost in the fitting process with male designers”.
The clothes on the Armani catwalk on Sunday were the sort of thing you’d find in Silvana’s wardrobe, the designer said. “I only wear trousers, soft jackets and shirts. I don’t like frills or excessive jewellery.” Loose blazers came with dropped shoulders, wide-legged trousers and floor-sweeping coats in navy, white, khaki and greige. It wasn’t a world away from what Giorgio started, but there were noticeably more pockets, no hats (Giorgio was a fan) and only a few skirts.
