MFW AW17: Gucci

VINYL records were the golden tickets to Gucci’s guests in Milan at the fashion brand’s AW17 catwalk show staged at the company’s new headquarters. They were treated to a full-on Michele-fest, with enough sparkly extravagance to make magpies envious, enough elaborate motley crew patterning to rival the Court of Versailles – post revolution – and the ironic downtown cool the creative director has brought to the Italian house.

To many, most definitely your parents, it could seem a mish-mash but it’s a mish-mash thought long and hard about by Alessandro. Perhaps “experience” would be more apt a term. The fully functioning 33-rpm vinyl records that doubled as show invites, featuring a snazzy snake design circling the disc, is case in point that the new Gucci is an experience from start to finish.

First sending a retro-chic look down the runway seemed a tame move but topping this with balaclava was not. From then ensembles were festooned with head to toe chinoiserie, with models clutching authentic Chinese parasols for extra stylised but oddly not too theatrical appeal, and bespangled by velvety floral brocade prints galore.

All of the motifs so adored by Alessandro did feel developed in comparison to two seasons ago however. Moving away from some of the Gucci-isms that the industry has tried and failed to replicate with similar sensibility meant it felt fully-fledged in more places than not.

Going the extra mile to assert that he’s no one-trick pony Alessandro also added in a flying saucer motif to the mix on one more basic black design. Whether it was his intention to make sure guests were paying full attention, or his petition to a pop culture preoccupied with the most bombastic and out-of-this-world entertainment subjects, it applied to a world where a lot of crazy and surreal current events are taking place what should and ultimately could be such a beautiful place.

Even if Alessandro doesn’t deem himself one of fashion’s contemporary prophets, the rest of the industry sure does, and an AW17 collection like this only gives his soothsayer appeal more, well, appeal.

by Livia Feltham

Images courtesy of Gucci