Bold color at Jil Sander, black at Armani

MILAN (AP) ― Cavalli strayed from the top drawer coutour on many Milan runways, evoking a high-end hippie rocker.

Cavalli evoked a lot of duality in his collection previewed during Milan fashion week on Saturday: light and shadow, gold and silver, iron and copper, reptile skin and feathers.

For next fall and winter, Cavalli created by his own words “a perfect synthesis” of the Cavalli style.

The designer known for sexy, edgy looks that have particular appeal with young women dipped into his archives to aggregate some of his most popular looks, reptile and animal prints, feather and luxurious embroidery, which gave the collection a flowing sense of light and shadow.

Jil Sander

Raf Simons did it again.

Enthusiastic applause and shouts of “bravo” greeted the finale of the Jil Sander show for next fall-winter by the 43-year-old Belgian, who took over as creative designer for the minimalist label six years ago.

At first Simons’ unfussy yet structured look in strictly black and neutral perplexed some fashion critics accustomed to the refined simplicity of the original line founded by German designer Jil Sander in the 1970s.

But in recent seasons the collections seem more relaxed and are definitely more colorful. His rave review summer collection previewed in September featuring 1960s couture with a contemporary twist was brighter than a box of crayons.

At the time Simons said it was time to go “maximal” and he has kept to his word.

The winter collection is tailored in bold volumes enhanced by down-filled garments ranging from voluptuous skirts to oversized jackets.

There is a lot of black in the collection, but it serves to set off the colors: red, royal blue, yellow and green, as well as an old-fashioned floral print.

Knitwear plays a major role with chunky two-tone sweaters and bright pullovers with geometric designs.

The bottom of ultra slim trousers are pulled through the wedges of the disproportionately heavy footwear. Paired with the voluminous jackets they create an A line effect often evoked in fashion sketches.

Emporio Armani

Armani has gone black ― or is that noir? ― for his Emporio collection.

Next fall and winter’s Emporio Armani woman is draped in black, layered in black, capped in black. She’ll get a dash of color in marvelously shaggy bags in turquoise blue or deep green, and in an equally shaggy scarf, that gives the faint impression of angel wings.

The myriad of black pieces can allow for ample mixing and matching. Or, as the designer’s note suggests, playing a spy role in a personal film noir, the mysterious beauty hidden behind a tilt of a black hat and dark sunglasses.

“It takes courage to propose a woman all in black, but looking at ‘my girls’ I have noticed that there isn’t one without a black outfit,” Giorgio Armani said after the show attended by Ricky Martin and Tina Turner.

Despite a runway of black, Armani acknowledged that the full collection when it turns up in stores will include color “to meet commercial needs.”

Emporio Armani’s black comes in many textures, rich velvet, matt cloth and Mongolian fur.

Glittering black tops ― off the shoulder, sleeveless or with just one elaborate cap sleeve _ are paired with slim trousers and worn with shoe booties in black with white accents. A simple black sleeveless dress was jazzed up with detached bubble sleeves and high-heel sandals that tie at the ankle. He closed the show with practical pantsuits, and a runway rarity: a little black tux for his sister’s terrier, carried under the arm of a smiling model.