What could be more refreshing in the dark of Winter than pastels? Giorgio Armani's Fall 2013 Emporio Armani collection, a brightly colored array of soft shapes and clean lines, proposes mint, cream, and lavender as a potential cure for cold-weather doldrums.

Armani didn't just stop with a light color palette. He infused the offering with a distinct '20s feel by placing cloche hats and men's bowlers on the models' heads, and by dressing them in drop-waist dresses and languidly tailored suits.The clothes looked modern, and thoroughly so, thanks to a slight two-dimensional feel in some of the trousers and jackets. But his final series of gowns — dark velvet dresses with sculptural qualities — pointed toward the future.