Giorgio Armani: elegance without excess
Collected by Rae Huang



在性别日趋模糊的年代, 服装不再是绝对的男女有别, Giorgio Armani引领女装迈向中性风格. 其服装讲究精致的质感与简单的线条, 有着一种无法形容的优雅气质. Giorgio Armani旗下一共有四个品牌: 其中Giorgio Armani是专门针对上层社会的主打品牌. 而另外三个Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, 和Mani都是面向普通老百姓的大众品牌. 各线品牌皆吸引了忠实的支持者, 时尚圈中俨然吹起一股Armani风.

Sleek as a seal, toned and tanned, Giorgio Armani is a walking totem of his own global success. His understated elegance has spawned an empire worth more than $3 billion, and made Armani the world's richest fashion designer.



Although Giorgio Armani initially embarked on a medical degree, he was working for a department store when he set about creating his own designs. With his partner, Sergio Galeotti, he launched his personal line in 1975. A year later, he produced an innovative suit jacket that sparked a fashion revolution. Armani was soon acclaimed for elegant, relaxed clothes, especially for fluidly tailored, understated suits for men and women, made of luxurious fabrics in muted colors and often featuring softly lined "unstructured" jackets. This approach was reflected in his wardrobe for Richard Gere in the film American Gigolo (1980).



He fused the softness of jeans and ponchos with more conventional formal wear, and built a fashion empire from the deconstruction of the shape-shifting suits of the 1940s and '50s. Fashion publisher Patrick McCarthy explains, "His mission, a rather democratic mission at that, has been to return elegance to clothing without abandoning the ease and comfort that crept in during the 1960s." By "removing the structure, creating a second skin", Armani captured a post-psychedelic zeitgeist in men's tailoring. For women, freshly powerful in the workplace but wanting to keep their femininity, he also answered the call. Sophia Loren has said, "I face an audience, and I am full of doubts. But when I wear his clothes, I have no more doubts".



Armani's philosophy of fashion and style, together with his entrepreneurial ability, has been central to the success of Giorgio Armani S.P.A. He is actively involved in the strategic direction of the Group and oversees all aspects of design and creativity. Perhaps best known for revolutionizing fashion with his unstructured jacket, he has, over nearly 30 years of designing, developed a stable of collections, including his signature Giorgio Armani line, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, A/X Armani Exchange and Armani Casa home interiors, offering a choice of lifestyles to the marketplace. Today, the Group's product range includes women's and men's clothing, shoes and bags, watches, eyewear, jewellery, fragrances and cosmetics, and home furnishings.

Interestingly, Armani's several separate labels sell everything from sofas to sunglasses and, while other designers have sold out to corporate giants, Armani has kept control. After losing his partner to Aids in 1985, he has relied on close family members to help run his empire. He may question the future of his legacy in what he calls "a young business run by old men", but he is sartorially consistent in his pursuit of "elegance without excess".

Vocabulary
sleek 光滑的
totem 徽章
acclaim 称赞
psychedelic 迷幻的
entrepreneurial 企业家的

Enjoy the moon, enjoy the cake
By Alicia Bao

中秋是传统文化中最有人情味、最诗情画意的一个节日. 中秋赏月与品尝月饼寓意家人团圆. 历年的中秋也是各路商家奇招迭出、群雄逐鹿的时机. 而今年厦门海景皇冠假日酒店推出的特色月饼及各项中秋活动别具一格, 为市民提供了更多选择.



Mid-Autumn festival is coming, are you busy preparing? If you are, mooncakes are probably the first things that pop into your head! But aren't you sick of throwing money away on unacceptably expensive mooncakes, or tired with the mid-Autumn cliché-sending fancy boxes back and forth, of which the outside decoration is much more lavish than the contents? What is the essence of the Mid-Autumn festival? Reunion with those you love and care about.

So, why not escape from sending mooncakes to people just because you "ought" to, and actually share them with someone you truly love. This year, the Crowne Plaza Harbourview Xiamen is offering a variety of Mid-Autumn Gift Vouchers, aiming to avoid wasting those extravagantly packaged mooncakes, and giving you a chance to feast on them and enjoy this great festive environment! Just gather your family, friends or colleagues at the elegant Loong Yuan Chinese Restaurant, and you will certainly enjoy the wonderful food along with one complimentary box of delicately made mooncakes. Or if you don't want a traditional meal, there is an abundance of choice for you:

Poolside Barbeque: You can sit at the poolside with a flow of free soft drinks and local beer, or relax yourself in the water to keep out of the sultry summer heat.

The Full Moon Party Cruise: Imagine spending a charming night with your loved ones on the sea, sharing the moon, sharing the cakes.

Gathering in the Ballroom: Throw off the heavy burden of work, toast to the hard work you've done with your colleagues.

Most importantly, the prices are very reasonable!

So what makes our mooncakes so delicious? The chefs of the hotel follow an original Cantonese recipe, with a pleasant flavor of soft, smooth lotus seeds which will remind anyone of their "deep longing for family and friends". The executive chef of the hotel is continually pursuing the highest standards for his tasty and healthy mooncakes, making fillings like sesame, almond, walnut kernels, shredded coconut, lotus seeds and egg yolk. Green, healthy and nutritious are their three major goals when they produce mooncakes. All of these wonderful creations are also made in accordance with the hotel's support for the Environmental Protection Agency.

So, if your head is aching at your gift list this Mid-Autumn Festival, leave it behind and come and try the Crowne Plaza Harbourview Xiamen!