Giorgio Armani has closed Milan fashion week by unveiling both his spring-summer 2016 ready-to-wear collection and his first autobiography - a giant tome on the four decades in which he became a guiding light of fashion.
In tracing the history of his company - which grew from a small start-up in the mid-1970s to a group with revenue of 2.54 billion euros in 2014 - Armani said he created his own brand of subtle but strong" revolution. Subverting the rules of previous decades, he had his women step out in flat shoes at all times - gala evenings included - and proved to them that they could not only act but also dress like men in the boardroom, albeit with femininity and grace.
This reflective mood reverberated on the catwalk, where the 81-year-old designer revisited his signature pieces, delivering a collection strong in suits yet with a subtle sensuality evident in the recurring red touches.
Light silhouettes in a palette of red, white and blue featured bolero as well as long tailored jackets over cuffed shorts or semi-transparent pleated organza pants.
The mood was elegant yet relaxed with striped tops, dresses and duster coats.
A tailored jacket dazzled with a motif evoking eastern embroideries - a hint at Armani's recent fling with China.
A unique master at flattering a woman's body, Armani also showcased a classic white shirt transformed into a loose silk dress worn over a sheer silk slip while a floral jumpsuit in bright vermillion conveyed playfulness and elegance in one breath.
Eveningwear included short party dresses and a finale of sparkling red-carpet numbers with carnelian underskirts for added impact.
Overall, daywear gave a new rendition of Armani's unique brand of luxury, with tailored jackets styled over revealing semi-transparent pants or shorts - a play on contrast that was a recurring theme throughout the Milan shows.
Effortless beauty was what many Italian brands sought to deliver as the word for next spring now moves to the final leg of fashion month in Paris.
Cheekiness and innocence, edge and tenderness played each other at Gucci, where Alessandro Michele gave new meaning to "geek chic" and a fresh new identity to one of Italy's leading fashion houses.
Ensembles such as a flowery blouse over a silk skirt with an oriental motif, a top with an embroidered parrot over a python skirt and a long dress under a poncho were all renditions of perfect imperfection with the odd mix giving an effortless feel to elegance.
Prada mixed different tweeds in one look, debuted classic suits in strong shades and lightened up organza dresses with colourful tops.
At Jil Sander, Roberto Paglialunga played with silhouettes, twisting, knotting and dangling strings - another look seen across brands including Massimo Giorgetti's MSGM, where "chained" grunge pants were designed to complement ruffled tops and loose strings dangled from a blue gown.
Giambattista Valli's Giamba debuted with sequined dresses and lace skirts with embroidered lipsticks.
Effortlessness was also achieved by mixing sportswear with couture.
At Roberto Cavalli, new creative director Peter Dundas introduced sporty notes for the first time at a brand noted for its unapologetic glitz, with long draped gowns mixed with short booties and a sweatshirt styled with a ball skirt.
Stripes - horizontal, vertical, bold or subtle - also featured widely across catwalks, Armani included, to play up the relaxed side of elegance.
At Stella Jean, stripes jazzed up ethnic prints in a punchy palette while at Missoni they were the main news.
Vertical stripes on knit tunics, horizontal stripes on polo shirts and the label's iconic zig-zag stripes on knit dresses went down the catwalk, as well as stripes evoking animal prints or Masai patterns.
Stripes even featured on sneakers, balancing cheerfulness with elegance, leisure with the very essence of the Missoni DNA.
And stripes played for contrast at Salvatore Ferragamo, subtle on a strapless gown with matching cape or bolder on flowing dresses cinched at the waist.
The gender-bending theme was also on hand as feminine met masculine at Alessandro Dell'Acqua's N.21 with lace on chiffon slip dresses styled over masculine T-shirts and manly pants with feminine tops at MSGM, where ruffles also featured prominently.
Indeed if harnesses, chains and strings gave an edge to a number of collections, rouches, lace and light feminine fabrics including silk, chiffon and organza also played up the romance that so befits the spring-summer season.
While Ferragamo romanced its audience with pleats, bows and strings, delicate motifs played a key role at Philosophy, with liberty-style flowers, and at Fay with paisley patterns.
The celebration of feminine beauty translated into simple silhouettes with rich craftsmanship at Dolce & Gabbana as they artfully celebrated Italy's assets - like the Leaning Tower of Pisa or a pattern of lemons evoking the fresh, strong taste of an Italian summer.
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