I realised the brilliance of where Alessandro Michele is taking Gucci when I started working closely with the brand in 2015, which is also the year Michele took the reins as creative director. There was often a sense of realness to the way he presented his collections for he never once needed to rely on the Bellas and the Gigis to sell his vision. Instead, he would often pluck a diverse cast off the streets—gawky skaters, teachers, art students, painters, poets, to cite a few examples.
These characters, with their interesting backstory, conveyed a message of being on the ground and truly identifying with his audience. In a 12-hour live-streamed photo shoot, titled Epilogue, Michele presented a series of 74 looks completely shot live and backed by a mishmash of imageries that inspired him for this collection (think purple cauliflower, a moss green antique sofa sitting in the midst of a corn field and a lone statue perched in a hole in a wall). Talents this time round consisted of Gucci’s very own staffers as they were seen with masks walking in and out of a makeshift studio set within the Palazzo Sacchetti. The entire process was captured with a mix of stills and a live 360-degree video of the full ensemble.
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The Midas touch of Michele came from his ability to pull together so many opposing elements and make them work on the various body types. The ’70s geometric print is paired with psychedelic florals, and that sparkle from a pair of sequinned gloves instantly uplifts this collection. Last season’s strict close-to-the-body tailoring has given way to a more casual, relaxed fit. And Michele doesn’t forget that jab of humour and irony that has always been his approach to life. Having freshly collaborated with Disney on a capsule collection that was fashioned after the Mickey and Donald print, he continues the animal theme with the infamous Japanese robot cat—Doraemon.
The whimsical cat is armed with a magic pocket on his chest that enables him to pull out futuristic gadgets and playthings— perhaps a nod to how Michele would almost always have a new trick up his sleeve season after season.
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