Unexpected All Change at Gucci: Men's AW 15/16

Alessandro Michele (and Team) Takes A Bow At Gucci

I've wondered why, since women have borrowed from men so often in the last century, why there seldom seemed any 'reciprocal arrangement'.  Exceptions of course, for years I've known (male) friends buy women's jeans and T shirts, occasionally and deliberately for the fit, but more for the variety, especially colour, finishes and prints. And of course everyone is screaming 1970s references at Alessandro Michele's Men's collection for Winter. Doesn't anyone remember Kurt Cobain in a dress, the androgyny of utility-wear, and unisex fragrances?  Far more grunge than glam, this show had all the hallmarks of generation X in their heyday. A few more designers now seem to be questioning the devisions between menswear and women's wear, Slimane and Prada included, and so Michele is not alone. The HUGE rise of interest and sales in men's RTW has led to more focused and experimental thinking altogether, perhaps about time, now roles in society have changed so much.  From that point of view I welcome Gucci's collection, why shouldn't a man wear a pussy bow around his neck? However there was a whole lot of unfinished business about this collection, and I'm not just talking about Giannini's early exit.  

Dare we raise the question of who will buy this collection? There are plenty of hipsters, artists and wannabe artists of all kinds who would buy pre-loved women's wear in charity shops (goodwill) but hipsters and my thrifty friends are not going to be buying Gucci, and Gucci's regular customers won't go near anything from this catwalk, so I hope Gucci will have their usual shirts 'at the back' (I'm sure they will). In a way, and maybe sadly, that will make this collection redundant.

No doubt there is also a pressure on designers to concentrate on bottom lines, and I'm not talking about trousers.  Hedi Slimane has taken Saint Laurent back to its bohemian routes in many ways, and with it we are told, huge profitability. Valentino has gone rock star crazy, and Kenzo has re-awakened to the cash tills roaring approval of everything tiger. Obviously, rock n roll, no matter how mainstream is still a money spinner now we can all be Stars for 15 seconds on YouTube. Will it work at Gucci? Only time will tell. Gucci has always been about sex and sensuality. Tom Ford or Frida Giannini, the focus has always been on confident femininity and masculinity, no matter the sexual predilection of the wearer. Butter soft leather, feathers or crisp wild silk, there was never an air of ambiguity and self doubt about the Gucci woman or man, Gucci was never street fashion but a fantasy, light years away from the mundane. The vibe for AW15/16 is entirely different. 

As for the '5 day' wonder collection.  With all the will in the world, Gucci's huge budget and their own factories those clothes were NOT designed, developed, made and styled in five days.  The women's-themed menswear was more style-ploy to join a lot of previous year samples and 'found' clothes together and present it as a show. Michele obviously went shopping from Gucci's own closet plus perhaps a hunt in Rome's own thrift shops (kidding). I can see those trousers have had the hems let down, some of the coats are women's (just look at the black Astrakhan!), the rings are cast offs . I think it was more a case of cast the model and see what we've got that fits :-D

All pictures from Gucci.com 

Gucci: Too Big for Their Own Boots?

Winter corner of Gucci by Accornero scarf 

All change, all change, Frida Giannini, Creative Director of Gucci will leave next February, a month after her partner, Patrizio Di Marco. The news was announced just after the Gucci pre-fall campaign and in time for Christmas. It's sad and unjust that the 8 years of Giannini's steady creative and wearable output is seen as the reason for Gucci's poor bottom line performance of late, whilst the Kering parent company ignores their own plans of world domination through over-expansion and unrealistic shareholder dreams.   

The change initiated a whole garble of identikit news comment on the supposed changing demographics of the average luxury consumer. There is an unhealthy obsession with courting the Chinese, the Arabs, the Russians, the Brazilians or wherever the next untapped average billionaire comes from in the supposed new world order.  No one likes a fawning toady. Where ever people come from they like to be treated as intelligent and sophisticated. Connoisseurs of beautiful and discernibly quality objects are not easily swayed by teen actors swinging the latest whatever gets thrown at her/him, never mind the logo.   Talking abut youth, young consumers have always chosen to shop differently than their parents, do Kering really think teenagers will part with thousands of dollars (or comparable currency) because a new creative director will put on a crazy show six times a year, maybe they will, but it seems positively adolescent to chase a mythical marketing dragon.  The bottom line, changing the creative talent at an established brand is not going improve the dividend if Gucci continue to provide seasonal discount sales and knock-em-out outlet fodder.  

First look: Gucci Resort / Cruise 2015

Stealth Wealth Plus Extras

Another ultra wearable collection from Frida Giannini for Gucci. Clean lines, hot colours, sunshine bleached and faded, worn with dense black, white, camel or orange, all accented with gleaming silver or the blackest navy. The well worn nautical theme came through very strongly, either in lovelorn favourite casual pieces or smart and Modern. Either way, precious embellishments or classically tailored, these are pieces that suggest you've had them for a while and promise you will be keeping forever.  

The once-staple of every woman's wardrobe the safari-style shirt-dress, gets a reworking with generous slashes to show a tanned leg, block heeled 'loafer' boots or cut in shoulders to show off beautiful toned arms (mental note to self, lots of press-ups and push-ups for a body money can't buy). Style note, shirts and shirt dresses were done up to the chin, made even higher with a silk neckerchief.

The print by Kris Knight is a modern Flora, unusual, edgy blooms that possess a beauty outside the usual pretty classic garden flowers.

As so often with Gucci, standard classics also come in leather and precious skins, the season will be no exception with sailors strides in the softest leather, touches of python in the palest shades to showcase the skin's natural markings. Similarly the ubiquitous Gucci loafer will be available bejewelled.

As so often it's the details will separate the Gucci originals from the many copies that will sure to be around, whether a leather collar or heavyweight gob-stopper buttons on a perfectly cut coat. As in previous seasons, the accessories were relatively low key for Gucci, preferring to foreground the exceptional leather and iconic features. 

The evening promises ergo-dynamic and sophisticated late-1960s sheath dresses with shimmering detail highlighting the cut-outs, and unlike for the day, shown with no extra jewellery and the hair simply worn down