Giorgio Armani accused the fashion industry on Friday of "raping" women with short-lived trends and sex-driven marketing as he presented his Emporio Armani line at Milan Fashion Week. "I think it's time for me to say what I think. Women keep getting raped by designers, by us," Armani, 85, told reporters on the sidelines of the show for the line aimed at younger customers. "If a lady walks on the street and sees an ad with a woman with her bbs and ae in plain sight and she wants to be like that too, that's a way of raping her," Armani said. "You can rape a woman in many ways, either by throwing her in the basement or by suggesting that she dresses in a certain way."

Armani, known for his sober, elegant outfits, founded his label in 1975 and has built it into a global brand. "In my show there are short skirts, long skirts, ample and tight trousers. I have given maximum freedom to women who can use all possibilities if they are sensible," he said. "I'm sick of hearing the word 'trend'. We need to try to work for today's woman. There shouldn't be trends," he said. In his Fall/Winter 2020 Emporio Armani show the designer stayed loyal to his simple and neutral looks, keeping silhouettes loose and straight lined with a new emphasis on recycled materials.

"The R-EA capsule collection has been made with recycled fabrics and materials, as it has already been done for Emporio men's line," Armani said after the show. At the beginning, black dominated the catwalk, then it was the turn of shades of green and blue, because "shops need colors to catch customers' eye," as Armani remarked. Models wore short lace trimmed shorts, opaque tights and wide-legged trousers. Dressed were ruffled and cinched at the waist with belts or combined velvet and silk.

Jackets, long and flowing or cropped and buttoned, were combined with tiny halter neck tops. Footwear mainly consisted of laced up boots and bags and clutches were small. Velvet, a recurring material, was also used in accessories. "The Emporio Armani woman is strong-willed, eclectic and bold in her decisions. With little regard for mundane rules, she is a young woman that bewilders and astonishes," show notes read. Armani will present the Fall/Winter 2020 collection for his main Giorgio Armani line on Sunday. - Reuters