The stars came out Tuesday for a high-wattage haute couture display by red carpet favorite Giorgio Armani, who sent out impeccably cut suits and long, lean dresses covered in dazzling beadwork.
"It's blinding, it's beautiful, really beautiful," said Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett after the show.
Blanchett, wearing a pagoda-shouldered sheath dress by Armani, shared the front row with "Transformers" star Megan Fox, in a gray asymmetrical Armani cocktail dress. French actress Isabelle Huppert - head of the Cannes Film Festival jury this year - colleague Emmanuelle Beart and Italy's Claudia Cardinale were also on hand.
Armani's winter 2010 display opened on familiar-but-strong territory with a series of pantsuits, his signature look, embellished with rhinestone-hemmed cuffs and buttons that looked like miniature crystal balls.
Then the Italian designer brought out the big guns, or rather the shiny guns, with bustier dresses covered in scintillating silver or champagne-colored crystals, sequins and beaded fringe. Models wore beaded headpieces with dangling fringe that perched at a jaunty angle on their identical dark bobbed wigs.
The show - under Armani's couture label Giorgio Armani Prive - had a vaguely flappery air about it. But mostly it just felt like classic Armani - all clean lines and to-die-for tailoring - with an extra shot of sparkle.
Asked about the dangers of wearing clothes that could possibly outshine her, Fox said, "I don't know if I could pull it off, but I could try."
