Emporio Armani glitters at Milan Fashion Week

MILAN, Sept 24, 2011 (AFP) - Glittery dresses and boater hats were the highlights of an Emporio Armani spring/summer 2012 collection dominated by black-and-white alternations shown off at Milan Fashion Week on Saturday.

Emporio Armani - SS 2012 / Photo: Pixel Formula

Armani said the designs -- many of them interpretations of menswear with blazers and trouser suits that would not look out of place at a regatta -- were "a contemplation on the significance of line, silhouette and graphics."

The skirts were demure -- ranging from mid-knee to mid-calf -- something of an emerging trend at the Milan collections. White skirts and jackets also had black trims, mirroring the black bands on the white and black boaters.

See-through PVC bags, also with black trim, added a futuristic touch.

Models emphasised the geometric alternations -- reminiscent of the Art Deco style that has been one of the main themes of the Milan shows -- by coming down the runway in pairs at Emporio Armani's minimalist headquarters.

Emporio Armani - SS 2012 / Photo: Pixel Formula

The fashion king himself, Giorgio Armani, 77, took a bow after the show.

Giorgio Armani's main line is set to be unveiled on Monday and the company will open a luxurious hotel in Milan in November -- its second after the one inside the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai in a deal with Emaar Properties.