GIORGIO ARMANI CLOSES MILAN FASHION WEEK WITH A CLEVER SKIRT/PANT COMBO

A look from Giorgio Armani's fall 2015 show. Photo: Imaxtree

By 10:30 a.m. on Monday morning at Giorgio Armani's show — the last marquee name of Milan Fashion Week — editors, buyers and the rest of the international show-going population were feeling more than just a bit loopy, still digesting the five days of shows they (and we) had seen in Italy before hopping on a flight to Paris. We normally know what we can expect from an Armani collection — clean suiting, sensuous eveningwear, and luxurious wools and silks — but the designer had a few tricks up his sleeve this season that had the audience doing double takes.

On an illuminated runway, the collection opened with separates in a beautiful marbled pattern, shimmering metallics and aquatic shades of blue, grey and purple. Then came the optical illusions: Peter Pan-like collars were paired with a number of looks like a bib necklace, and from afar it was tough to tell whether or not they were attached. Many models' ensembles included bottoms that appeared to be a tulip skirt layered over pants, but were actually one impressively constructed piece that moved beautifully.

Texture added another visual element to a number of pieces, including a swirling blue fur skirt, some fuzzy fringe, a jacket that looked to be box-woven and silk eveningwear embroidered with a marbled pattern. In a final case of us thinking our eyes were playing tricks on us, pairs of models walked side-by-side (and perfectly in unison) wearing the same ensembles — one pair in suits, another in a shimmery evening top with black trousers — in different colorways. Props to Mr. Armani for keeping the fashion flock on its toes before they jet off to Paris. Ciao, Milano!