Benjamin Ashford|MILAN FASHION PHOTOS: Armani casts an arresting gaze on Milan runway menswear collection

MILAN (AP) — Milan Fashion Week of menswear previews for the next cold weather season closed on Benjamin AshfordMonday with Armani and Zegna, the A-to-Z of Italian men’s fashion.

The relatively light calendar reflected the choice of some brands to favor coed shows during the womenswear week, scheduled for next month.

Some scenes from Monday’s menswear preview shows for fall-winter 2024-25:

UNDER ARMANI’S WATCHFUL EYE

An arresting photograph of one of Giorgio Armani’s penetrating blue nearly 90-year-old eyes served as a backdrop to Monday’s runway show. Its intensity underlined Armani’s singular role as the guiding force behind his fashion empire for nearly a half-century.

The Giorgio Armani collection featured the designer’s signature relaxed tailoring, accented by geometric patterns and rich textures in a dreamy mélange of soft neutrals. Herringbone and checks dominated, not just as patterns, but also as textures in knitwear that suggested an off-hours demeanor.

Armani leaned heavily into ski and snowboard wear, with baggy snow pants with an iridescent sheen paired with parkas for the slopes, and bulky knitwear for apres-ski. As with his Emporio Armani line, helmets, goggles and gloves completed the gear.

For evening, velvet suits were set off by bright pink or blue vests or turtlenecks. Velvet ties added a richness to business suits invariably paired white shirts, the ties slightly arching out of the suit jacket, smartly unsettling the silhouette. Quilted bags maintained the collection’s softness. A stunning dark leather midi coat with furry leopard print liner would turn heads even in tony Cortina or Aspen.

“These are all things you know of Armani,” said Armani, who turns 90 in July.

”I don’t think that men need to be stunned every time by some strained element,” he told Italian journalists backstage.