Armani Privé Fall 2012

Giorgio Armani's Fall 2012 Couture collection for Armani Privé was inspired by beauty found in the everyday: the sun rising in the morning and setting in the afternoon, the sky yielding to constellations of stars at night. That message was grounded in clothing colored to resemble the sky at various times of day: sunrise pinks, oranges, dusky purples, and midnight blues were featured prominently on colorblocked shirts, subtle ombre jackets, and cardigans with sheer sleeves — many of which were paired with Armani's signature full-cut trousers in black. By the time the show had progressed to evening, the looks looked more like night, too. Futuristic dresses (one asymmetrical gown featured a spike of fabric that veered off over the left shoulder) embroidered with crystals or affixed with sequins dominated the latter half of the collection and were shown on models wearing sheer, beaded veils that called to mind shooting stars and meteor showers. With those, Armani said he was trying to create an air of mystery, but they also added a textural layer of beauty to a show already infused with plenty of sparkle and glamour.