Alessandro Michele said of his choice of location for the Gucci Resort ’18 show; ‘At the beginning, everything started in the Mediterranean, the Greek and Roman cultures, but we couldn’t have Athens, so I went to the next big step in civilization, the Renaissance, so we came here to Florence, the fascinating metropolis of the past, the place which had the power of big money.’
Michele’s ambitions for the brand are clearly without bounds, having openly stated that he originally wanted the Pantheon in Athens as the location for his show; a dream foiled by a permanent preservation order in place at the historic location. And so, this is how the location came to be at the Palatine Gallery of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence; not bad for a Plan B.
The collection was another mammoth one with over 100 looks marching down the catwalk; all with the signature touches that Michele applies to give that unquestionable Gucci aesthetic. This time there were gilded wreaths and tiaras, a nod to the ancient classical themes at play, as well as turbans, pearl adorned crochet beanies and headpieces, floral head scarves, tinted specs and glitter sunnies.
Michele knows how to do maximalism and has an eye for anything shiny or embellished. Metallics and embroideries played a big role with glittering GG logo tights, socks, embroidered patches and slogans appearing throughout. Speaking of slogans, another highlight of Gucci pieces, new for the season were tops reading ‘Guccy,’ ‘Guccification’ and ‘Guccify Yourself.’
It was fun and playful collection that was Gucci through and through. And with so much content for fans to buy into, both women and men, this seems to be exactly what Michele aimed to deliver.