MILAN — Giorgio Armani is planning to launch a new women’s line, called “New Normal,” which will hit stores in June.
“It will show how I think today’s women should dress,” Armani said Monday during his regular press conference after the show for his main collection. “The idea is to start from classic designs to create a new classic. It’s a collection meant to last, which will be renewed as we go but will remain rooted in the classic style.”
Few details of the line were available, but a spokesman said New Normal will be a full collection under the Giorgio Armani label.
With the new collection, Armani will reinforce an idea he has expressed during his whole career: That fashion has to be anchored to real life and can’t just be the result of a flight of fancy.
“My goal is always to create a kind of fashion that you can renovate without completely changing it. It’s just about small details,” he said.
The designer also strongly criticized how journalists often tend to focus only on finding attention-grabbing headlines, instead of on the hard work needed to realize his collections. “Behind this [he pointed to backstage where the models were getting ready for the second show] there is work, which very few do.”
In addition, Armani said he is confident that the Expo, opening in Milan in May, will be successful.
“If we don’t mess things up now, it can work because we can show we have balls when we want,” said Armani, who was named Expo ambassador in December.
On April 30, Armani will celebrate the opening of the Universal Exhibition with an event celebrating the unveiling of his new Armani/Silos museum and exhibition space, as well as a runway show feting his company’s 40th anniversary.