Giorgio Armani's spring 2008 fashions were shown on a runway at Neiman Marcus in Ala Moana Center yesterday in a sleek presentation staged to benefit The Contemporary Museum.

Lucy Chelini, Neiman Marcus public relations director, said it was the most elaborate runway show the store has ever put on. In just 24 hours, Doug Jago and his visual merchandising team, along with three Armani representatives from Los Angeles and two Neiman Marcus experts from Dallas, transformed the department store's intimate apparel department into a sophisticated fashion venue, with a black Plexiglas runway flanked by butterfly screens in Armani's signature gray and black.

The event drew a crowd of philanthropists, artists and fashion lovers, who pulled out notebooks to earmark pieces they intended to find out more about.

The carefully edited clothes on display were in fabrics and styles appropriate to the Islands — inspired, Armani has said, by the sensuality of summer in a Sicilian fishing village.

For spring colors, the designer used soft whispery shades of gray, blue, cream and a color Armani calls "fango," a soft taupe. There were also watercolor prints that captured airy lights and shadows with an ocean feeling: the inky blue of the deepest seas, the gray of water-soaked rocks and the carbon black of lava. Navy and white stripes, as well as a geometric navy and white print, were also prevalent. Iris blue and emerald provided some pop.

As is usually the case in an Armani show, the pants were a point of focus. "Armani modifies the pant a lot and makes of it an interesting piece. His jackets are more of a staple," said Sam Goodrich, who works for Armani in Los Angeles.

While there were a few classically draped Armani blazers, the freshest looks were cropped jackets over camisoles or tunics, a style that works for a variety of body types.

Perhaps the most innovative garment in the show was the short pant with ruching at the hem, a style reminiscent of a harem pant or a Southeast Asian fisherman's pant. While seen on the runway in Milan with a huge bow at the hem, this is the toned-down version of the design.

"The (Milan) runway is about drama, not how we're going to actually wear it" in real life, Goodrich said.

The Armani runway at Neiman Marcus, on the other hand, provided real-life options.

Reach Paula Rath at paularath@aol.com.