|
 Gucci's creative director Alessandro Michele framed his display
-- one of the most sought after tickets in Milan's fashion week
- in a cold, sterile and claustrophobic space that replicated an
operating theater.
"Our job (as creatives) is a surgical job: cutting and
assembling and experimenting on the operating table," Michele
told reporters after what he said was an exhausting show.
He explained that he wanted to show that there was order, a
"scientific clarity", among all the confusion of a job like his.
The brand, the biggest in French luxury group Kering, has been
revamped with a bold new style over the past two years under
Michele, and recently branched into homeware.
The verve of Michele, director since January 2015, has been key
to giving Gucci a strong new identity, and its bright, elaborate
and geeky yet chic looks have expanded the brand's following
particularly among younger customers.
The collection, for the next fall/winter season, was rich and
ornate, coherent with the kind of elaborate and layered styles
Michele has been sending down catwalks in recent seasons.
His designs echoed different ethnicities, cultures and social
classes, combining elements such as Sikh turbans with south
American patterns, everyday work clothes with college-inspired
looks. Some models wore crystal, embellished head pieces and
many wore colored balaclavas.
Two young models carried a replica of their heads in their arms,
representing the struggle of accepting one's identity and
"looking after your head and thoughts", Michele said.
[to top of second column] |
Like many other collections, Michele's approach suggests the notion
that people don't necessarily have to fit into pre-defined
categories and that they are free to chose who they are.
A style note said the different designs embodied Gucci's concept of
"pluriverse" and drew inspiration from Donna Haraway's 'Cyborg
Manifesto", a 1984 essay rejecting the idea of rigid boundaries,
particularly those separating humans from animals and from machines.
"Limiting fashion to something that only produces business is too
easy," Michele said, noting that the industry is now more engaged in
social issues, with "a greater conscience".
Kering boss Francois-Henri Pinault said earlier this month Gucci
could still notch up double-digit growth this year. Comparable sales
in the last quarter of 2017 at Gucci rose nearly 43 percent, beating
forecasts and most industry peers. [nL8N1Q3104]
Milan Fashion week runs until Feb. 26. The Italian fashion capital
will be the setting for just over 60 shows and over 90 presentations
and designers like Italy's Armani, Versace, Dolce&Gabbana will be
showcasing their fall/winter collections.
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti, Editing by William Maclean)
[© 2018 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2018 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
