Gucci set the stage for Milan Fashion Week, with a spectacular opening show
In a modern, tech-conscious move, Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele invited guests to his AW20 Gucci presentation via WhatsApp — a sustainable, and very practical alternative to elaborate invitations: setting the tone for what was to come.
Staged at Gucci’s headquarters, the show, entitled ‘The Ritual’ gave the fashion pack an intimate, behind-the-scenes tour and a glimpse into the whimsical mind of Michele. Guests saw clothing racks and makeup counters at work, placed behind a circular glass case, where models were dressed before being lined up along a rotating platform.
Standing like mannequins behind the glass, models revealed a collection that blended eras and motifs ; there were tiered Edwardian gowns in pastel shades, school girl pinafore dresses, Pilgrim-inspired hats, hippie style suits, colour-popping separates and of course, a side of gothic grunge and hint of patent leather.
A poetic fantasy of froufrou gowns, statement costume jewellery and wearable accessories — including a lust-after leather top-handle bag in lavender — the catwalk, more like carousel window, offered an insight into the story of each look with it’s backstage context laid-bare.
With so many many allusions, it’s hard to pinpoint to trend — instead, Alessandro Michele creates a mood, an eclectic mash-up that is now evidently identifiable as Michele’s Gucci DNA.
