Giorgio Armani's elegant crystal designs

Giorgio Armani thinks using crystals in his designs will allow men to look "elegant" yet "contemporary".

The Italian designer has teamed up with crystal firm Swarovski to create a new collection and Giorgio is very excited about the range.

He told vogue.com: "I thought of using these luminous crystals as an unusual, beautiful detail, creating a contemporary, elegant look for men. I designed a black, perfectly proportioned, slim-fit suit complete with a shirt in the same colour, with tiny Swarovski crystals applied to the shirtfront to give it an original, unexpected look. The crystals capture the light and therefore the eye."

Dior Homme's Kris Van Assche has also been working with the label, but took a more subtle approach to his creations.

He said: "I love the idea that at Dior Homme, each piece is so beautiful, precious and carefully made inside as it is on the outside."

16 leading menswear names were asked by Swarovski to incorporate crystals into a design for autumn/winter 2011 and all of which were showcased in a unique event in Milan earlier this month.