Gucci celebrates its 100th anniversary with Gucci Aria, a collection that redefines the very meaning of time without ever losing the iconic stylistic codes, which have made the maison the emblem of anti-convention in terms of fashion.
A birthday, this, which counts a hundred revolutions of the earth and goes back to that spring of a hundred years ago, when everything was about to sprout and refract. Alessandro Michele picked up the Gucci house keys to open the locks of history and stop at the beginning, immersed in a native source that gave rise to some of the most unforgettable fashion items of the contemporary era. Gucci Aria becomes the means by which to satisfy a hunger for rebirth and celebrates this birthday by paying homage to what is considered immutable today. A logo, a shape, an iconic pattern become the protagonists of revisited pieces, which mix the fashion universe of the Kering world in collaboration with a maison that has written many pages of history. Balenciaga and its creative director Demna Gvsalia work closely with Michele to take on a unique challenge in the fashion scene. The unconventional rigor of Balenciaga traces the history of Gucci passing through the golden years of the direction of Tom Ford, sacking its shiny fabrics and minimal shapes.The result is a collection that celebrates the equestrian world, returning to the beginnings of the Maison, transfiguring it in a fetish cosmogony. Also present is old Hollywood, sequins, flared dresses and the silhouette of a contemporary Marilyn Monroe who has never lost her glamor. Men’s tailoring, its discreet codes and charm are sabotaged by sparkling dresses that now embrace the contemporary and interpret the desires of the world: to celebrate a feast of the air. Air, hence the evocative name of the collection, is the element that becomes a metaphor for a vital breath that marks a potential new beginning for Gucci.
Inspiring Gucci Aria means letting a world enter you, a world made up of challenges, new rules to be subverted and canons to be broken. From the collection emerge the oversized tailored suits, which recall without too many metaphors the suits of Tom Ford of the early 90s, the leather bodices that tighten blouses with puffed sleeves, the riding boots that surround balloon leather pants, the jackets crop with padded shoulder straps, peplum tops and outerwear with allover logo that mix Gucci and Balenciaga in a beautiful riot of icons. Accessories mark the hand of Alessandro Michele, sculptures of anatomical hearts become handbags, the Jackie is tinged with patterns that mix the Gucci heritage with the Balenciaga logo, but the opposite also happens. The Hourglass by Balenciaga is tinged with the iconic Gucci floral pattern and the maxi-toe stretch boots of glitter and logos of the Italian Maison. A combination of references to all those who wrote the pages of fashion, in a celebration that is not self-referential but an ode to the ability to renew and return to life, after winter has passed.
An initially controversial choice, which a few hours after its debut brought Gucci to the top of the ranking of brands that have achieved success without fear of daring. Could it become a new path to follow also for the other fashion houses? We had fun imagining what the next collaborations could be that we would love to see.
Off White X Dior
Fendi X Hermès
Prada X Jacquemus
Burberry X Bottega Veneta
Louis Vuitton X Chanel
