Gucci Autumn/Winter 2015: New Beginnings

The Milan show season kicked off today with a debut women’s wear collection courtesy of Alessandro Michele who took over as creative director of the megabrand Gucci in January. While Michele worked with Frida Giannini, Gucci creative director since 2006, as accessories designer both at Gucci and Fendi before that, his Gucci men’s collection, created in only two weeks following Giannini’s abrupt departure at the beginning of this year, made clear his intention to move the label in a very different direction. And today’s offering – seen remotely – appeared to be further carving out the dawning of a new era for Gucci.

Gone were the glamazons with their big hair, statement accessories and killer heels, in favour of a younger, more fresh-faced and androgynous creature, still dressed in the finest leather – the core of this house’s business after all – slick tailoring and fine lace, but cut into an altogether more geeky, even slightly off silhouette. Trousers were low-slung, masculine and slouchy – a million miles away from Giannini’s form-fitting shapes – and worn with nothing more overtly glamorous than a buttoned up shirt tied at the throat with black silk ribbon. Silk chiffon dresses in autumn shades – blush pink, poppy red - and printed with what looked like upholstery blooms were sack like and finished with a demure pussy bow. Trouser suits were stamped with equally exuberant flowers. Even sheer lace dresses – the most unashamedly sexy and indeed feminine element on this runway – were rectilinear, more reminiscent of the mid-Nineties than anything Ms Giannini would have offered up for her customers’ delectation.

Accessories were relatively minimal also. The Gucci double G belt was all present and correct, but in fine brass it had a sweet vintage feel. The Gucci loafer was here too – why mess with perfection and still one of the most coveted signatures of the label, after all, particularly when it fits so well with the boy meets girl mood that Mr Michele appears to be channeling right now? Some of these sprouted fluffy fur linings: a cute, belle-laide touch and a clever update of an undeniably fine classic.

Overall, the Seventies – as seen through the Nineties, perhaps – remained the decade to reference. The aforementioned pussy bow is, of course, a staple of that era, as so too are midi-length skirts – ultra-luxe in finely pleated leather and shimmering metallics, the shine of the latter duly offset by woollen tanks as modern dress codes decree. This was Gucci’s glorious heyday, when anyone worth their jet set credentials carried the label’s logo stamped bags and it makes sense therefore for to reinvent it for the here and now. Finally, and talking of bags, these too were revamped and considerably more downbeat than might be expected, crafted in sludge-coloured skins and dangling from heavyweight silver chain.

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