Ever since Alessandro Michele took over the creative reigns of the hallowed luxury Italian house, it’s become a powerful design force to reckon with
By Manish Mishra
PUBLISHED ON APR 27, 2021 04:45 PM IST
Ever since Alessandro Michele took over the creative reigns of the hallowed luxury Italian house, it’s become a powerful design force to reckon with. From creating a strong visual vocabulary to giving it an intellectual edge to making it a constant talking point thanks to an array of creative collaborations – Michele has crafted an idiom reflecting cerebral sexiness, geek chic, cinematic whimsy and a poetic cross medley of all applied art forms.
Michele’s mind is a cornucopia of culture and colour – from recreating the Garden of Eden to deriving inspiration from Dario Argento’s horror films to inculcating Disney characters in the merchandise to having Florence Welch recite William Blake’s poetry at a show.
Cut to the recently showcased Gucci Aria which had some delightful throwbacks to Tom Ford’s seminal works during the label’s sexed-up innings and also some pieces crafted with a surprisingly refreshing collaboration with Balenciaga.
This emotionally uplifting digital showcase came to life thanks to Michele’s models strutting to the tunes of Gucci anthems like – Lil Pump’s Gucci Gang, Rick Ross and Bhad Barbie’s Green Gucci Suit and Gucci Flip Flops. Also worth mentioning is Die Antwoord’s Gucci Coochie which was the icing on the cake.
Michele dug deep into the label’s archive celebrating its equestrian roots. From bringing back Tom Ford’s velvet tux to injecting an element of kink by throwing in whips and leather harnesses – the ensembles wreaked a multi sensory assault.
Loads of daytime sparkle, oodles of luscious marabou, and heart minaudières encrusted with rhinestones lent a dramatic touch to 70s inspired tailoring (Alessandro loves that decade).
The digital showcase ended with models in embrace letting their freak flag fly high in a fantasy garden punctuated with horses, bunnies and birds. Trust Michele to let us feast our senses on this escapist fantasy celebrating the values of inclusivity, acceptance and individuality.
manish.mishra1@hindustantimes.com
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