Commedia dell’Arte Characters Populate Giorgio Armani’s Latest Haute Couture Runway

Armani Spring-Summer 2023 collection celebrates the annual Venetian Carnival

On the notes of The Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi, Giorgio Armani presented his Privé Haute Couture collection “Rondò Armaniano,” lighting up the second day of the Paris Haute Couture Week 2023. For those lucky ones who were sitting in the first row, it must have probably felt like being transported into the captivating era of Italian Baroque.

With a collection dedicated to the characters of the Commedia dell’Arte–a form of Italian theater that was popular between the 16th and 18th centuries–Armani seems to have started the dances of the Venetian Carnival earlier. Models were seen wearing Pantaloon’s knee-breeches embellished with sequin waistlines, and Pulcinella’s voluminous ruffled collar, also adapted into the structure of the corsets.

Among all, Harlequin’s signature checkered costume became the leading pattern of the collection. The diamond shape was used as a motif on skirts and pants, in hues of peony pink, emerald green, and cobalt; as well as reimagined into see-through gowns, fishnet jackets, and gilets.

As audience members watched the models walking down the runway, they were caught in a true celebration of the flamboyant rococo style. The “exaggeration” trait (typical of that time) is represented by Armani’s excessive attention to detail. From bulky bracelets to pendant earrings, to handbags and even shoulder straps, everything blends, portraying the Harlequin’s diamond shape in all its possibilities.



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