Gucci's Renaissance
““I always try to inject some rock ‘n’ roll into the collection.”
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Reminiscent of its Italian roots, the artistic glamour of the renaissance submerged in the grandeur of the powerful, Gucci played with the vintage feel of eras gone by. Jewel tones, florals, opulent designs with thickly crusted pearls, encrusted crystals on bold hues and outlandish prints. The supple elegance of the Gucci Cruise 2018 collection was atypical of Allesandro Michele’s maximalist style. The designer showed the collection in the heart of Florence at the Palazzo Pitti, with iconic renaissance interior constructed by the Medici's. Rapheals, Carravaggios, and da Vinci’s lined the walls as models strutted down the runway, in ‘Guccy’ t-shirts, silk turbans, satin dresses, flowing gowns, quilted yellow jackets and knitted fabric, bejeweled with motifs of 'blind for love.' and hearts. Just some of the styles on display. The attention to detail was exquisite with crystal GG motif on dark pink tights, renaissance inspired head bands, braclets with a fountain of golden stars and delicate beadwork.
Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci said that 'Following the presentation of the last two Cruise collections, in the art district of New York in 2015 and in the cloisters at London's Westminster Abbey in 2016, staging the next Cruise collection show in the heart of Florence has special meaning, particularly as Alessandro is constantly inspired by the city's renaissance masterpieces,' Alessandro Michele's translation of Gucci is a dreamy, sparkling spectacle set to entice the senses. "Everything was so rare in this time in Florence," he said about the renaissance. Talking about the Gucci logo he continued saying "I always say it's the hieroglyph of the company. It's the biggest decoration; kind of a pop symbol. It makes everything powerful," Michele has reinvented Gucci in his own interpretation of what inspires him. Discussing the Florentine dynasties that once were, he said"They were the most eccentric and rock 'n' roll at the time. And it's still in our culture. It's still here. It's something I adore, the idea that the classical pieces of our culture -- Greek and Roman -- are still inside." Gucci wasn't the only fashion house reinventing the past, Chanel's Greek inspired collection was another addition to this theme signifying the timelessness of past eras, immediately making collections classic with a twist of the current.