Known for bringing glitz, glamour, subversiveness and expression back to the house of Gucci, the renowned designer has breathed new life into the Italian label and the entire fashion industry .
New Beginnings
A week before Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2015 men’s collection hit the runway at Milan Fashion Week, then-creative director Frida Giannini left the label. Michele took over the role quickly and seamlessly, ushering in a new era for the Italian label. The first look of the collection, a shirt with a whimsical bow paired with black pants and a Gucci belt, immediately established the eccentric androgyny that has become Michele’s signature look.
A Gucci Illusion
Michele has infused many Renaissance-inspired elements into his designs as well as the luxury label’s overall visual identity. Combining fine art and haute couture, Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2018 campaign features interpretations of classical paintings with the theme of wearing pieces from the latest Gucci collection. Dubbed “Utopian Fantasy,” Michele tapped Ignasi Monreal to create the campaign’s hallucinatory-like artwork, which blends the physical and the imaginary.
The severed heads
By far the hottest accessory of the Fall/Winter 2018 season, Gucci’s severed heads stole the show. Six months in the making, select models were given the privilege of carrying life-size replicas of human heads down the runway for the fantasy-themed cyborg show that included everything from horns, baby dragons, iguanas, and a third eye. To make the dream a reality, Michele collaborated with Italian special effects studio Makinarium to create precise silicone molds of the models’ heads. Then, on the first Monday of May, Michele’s friend and Gucci brand ambassador Jared Leto coordinated a head-to-toe Gucci look for the Summer Camp-themed 2019 Met Gala. Dressed in a bright red gown and diamond-encrusted body jewelry, the look was completed by a brown silicone headpiece under her arm.
Sustainable efforts
Michele has made sustainability a priority for the Kering-owned luxury label since his appointment. The designer began by eliminating the use of fur in 2017 as a way to reduce Gucci's impact on both animals and the environment. In fall 2019, the brand announced that at its Spring/Summer 2020 show in Milan, its events (from construction to invitations) would be carbon neutral, significantly reducing the brand's environmental impact. Just this summer, the Italian label launched its first-ever eco-friendly collection, Off The Grid, which uses organic, recycled, and bio-based materials, along with a virtual campaign featuring Jane Fonda, Lil Nas X, and more.
Michele's Theater
Always one to break expectations, Michele turned tradition inside out for Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2020 runway show. Offering an intimate backstage look, hair and makeup artists prepped models for the audience. Once their looks were complete, the models walked up to a glass wall to spin on Gucci’s fashion carousel.
Rewrite the fashion calendar
In May 2020, after months of closure due to the novel coronavirus, Michele announced a new, innovative path for Gucci, spurred by a forced change in pace. With sustainability in mind, the creative director announced a reduction in the number of runway shows for the Italian label, from five a year to two non-seasonal shows, and the end of separate collections for men and women. Moving away from the traditional runway layout, Michele’s proposal both reduced waste and breathed new life into the fashion system.
The beginning of something that never ends
Breaking away from the traditional mold once again, in Gucci’s latest effort Out of Something that Never Ended, Michele’s new collection for the Italian label is presented as a seven-episode short film series co-directed by Michele with acclaimed American filmmaker Gus Van Sant. The cinematic presentations are available throughout the week as part of the GucciFest digital film festival. Featuring Italian star Silvia Calderoni and regulars from Harry Styles to Billie Eilish and Florence Welch, the episodes successfully capture Gucci’s overall aesthetic and ethos, from its bohemian styling to its eclectically curated pieces.
While promoting its mini-films on the GucciFest website, the brand also invited 15 up-and-coming designers to participate in its digital content festival. Those values emphasize sustainability or gender neutrality, two values Michele has held dear since being appointed creative director at the fashion house. Up-and-coming independent designers featured on Gucci’s small screen include Collina Strada, Priya Ahluwalia, Bianca Saunders and Gareth Wrighton.
Breaking gender boundaries
While Michele’s designs have always erred on the flamboyant side, gender boundaries have never appealed to the designer personally or through his work. After dressing Jared Leto in a long gown and Harry Styles in pearls and heels for the 2019 Met Gala, Michele has embraced androgyny. While the gender binary doesn’t seem to exist in Michele’s world , Styles’ Vogue cover sparked some surprising controversy when he became the first man to appear on the cover of the publication alone, wearing a blue Gucci dress and tuxedo jacket.
Twins
For Gucci's Spring/Summer 2023 show, Michele highlighted the beauty of twins by sending identical twins down the runway in matching outfits. The collection was praised for its creativity, exploration , and commentary on nostalgia for youth.
Hoai Huong (according to 24h.com.vn)
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