Roving Reporter: Armani Prive (!)

Sigh…the snowy mess in London (along with the disproportionate amount of moaning about it) has me wishing I could find somewhere to hop on a plane, grab the girls (Cate Blanchett and a sans-Tommy Katie Holmes) and do a bit of shopping. Naturally, we’d be choosing from the latest Armani Prive haute couture collection – so let’s dissect, shall we?


Well, hello! Pagoda-peak shoulders and down-to-there jackets (closed with pleated bows like this one or frog clasps and tassels) teamed with double-slit skirts that hit high on the calf. The show screamed 1930s plus China plus grunge-lady-spacebot.


Tough and futuristic hair and makeup looked perfectly ladylike when clashed with trumpet skirts and major pearls. The asymmetrical closure on the jacket would only emphasise a girl's sashay down the city streets.


Loving the organic feel of this top, plus the metallic embellishment. This season, Armani Prive played around with tons of cut-outs and unexpected sculpturing to a brilliant end.


Cate, this is where you come in. Care for this skirt set with a three-quarter sleeve top? The contours say Balenciaga, but the gold is all Armani. He also experimented with gunmetal grey, cream, aqua and lavender.


After seeing '40s glamour for the past year, it's nice to get a modified (but still very old-Hollywood siren) silhouette. The neckline of the dress, like so many in the collection, suggests just enough - and the skirt is sexy without even a flash of knee. Wouldn't you love to see how a little hip-gliding walk could reflect light?


Shoulders still strong, but the emphasis is back to the hip with this rich-violet number. And check out that fringe! Katie, I haven't forgotten you - I expect you to wear this on a night out soon.

Now I geek out. Armani Prive always comes out with some of my favourite Oscar dresses, and this one's a perfect contender. Bang on trend with the asymmetry, plus the rich red stands in defiance of the ho-hum mood everyone seems to be in because of the banking blahs. Cate and Kate, I will let you fight over this or hand it out to some lucky lady (ahem, Eva Longoria) as you see fit.


But yet there's more. Keeping with the feel of the Orient, this cleverly constructed metallic and black set says Eastern Flower to me.


Not forgetting a single detail, Armani adds the vase! I'd love to see the internal construction of this number. And it's not just any designer who can go this conceptual, which such a theme-y print, and not overdo it.


Shall we take a trip to Shanghai? Standard strapless goes fashion-forward with exposed ankles and the least-springy floral I've ever seen. Just another example of Armani blending hard and sweet.


These last two leave me undecided when it comes to choosing my favourite Oscar look from the collection. Could it be the reverse one-shoulder brocade, complete with a peekaboo skirt, which I'd love to see on Cate?


Or the strapless platinum sheath that would suit Miss Katie perfectly? Once again, the details (down to the thick Eastern-goth bangles) point straight to the hip.

What do you think of our man Giorgio's couture collection? And if you could take a walk down the red carpet, which gown would you model for the paparazzi?