Once again, Armani, the arbiter of taste, delivers refined elegance, albeit no surprise

Armani delivers refined elegance in Paris

PARIS — The man who’s built an empire on his impeccable taste, Giorgio Armani, turned out yet more refined elegance Tuesday, delivering a fall-winter 2011 haute couture collection of classic looks in a neutral palette.

An army of blondes in identical honey-colored wigs minced their way down the catwalk in pencil skirts and second-skin evening gowns so slim they constricted the models’ gait. Plain-front trousers in caramel, taupe and gray were paired with swingy daycoats in matching hues and artfully folded paneling embellished lean bustier dresses.

Though less blingy than in seasons past, when it seemed that every conceivable surface was smothered in Swarovski crystals, the collection had just the right dose of sparkle. Rhinestones dressed up the collar of a cropped blazer — its shoulders standing at attention in the hallmark Armani salute — and a black A-line dress shot through with silver Lurex gleamed blindingly under the spotlights.

Still, the downside of a collection that stayed so close to the label’s hallmark style was that it was absolutely lacking in surprise: There was not a single look that could have raised eyebrows.

Italian actress Claudia Cardinale, a regular front-row guest at Armani Prive — the designer’s couture label — gushed with enthusiasm for Tuesday’s collection.

“It’s all gorgeous, the cut is perfect, and I love those subtle colors,” Cardinale, dressed from head-to-toe in similarly muted colors, told The Associated Press in a backstage interview.

“The only problem is that there were only blondes, and no brunettes,” the raven-haired actress joked.