We saw them in New York, we saw them in London and now it appears that they’ll be on the Milan runways as well: hats and fur – lots and lots of hats, and lots and lots of fur. Given that the Fall 2011 Gucci collection marked the brand’s 90th anniversary, there was little doubt that the lineup was going to be anything other than a full-on glam-fest, so it was no surprise that luxurious touches were bountiful. Luscious colored furs, python skins (even on shoes!), vibrant colors (including a wonderful burst of teal), and the 70s glam that creative director Frida Giannini mastered last season were everywhere.
Though there were nods to 70s-era Yves Saint Laurent in some of the 70s-inspired looks, Louis Vuitton notes in some of the quirky fur accents, and a bit of Marc Jacobs Spring 2011 in the parade of sheer gowns that closed out the show, Giannini gave every look that made its way down the runway the quintessential Gucci punch, which is to say, the collection was very high on sex appeal. After all, isn’t that exactly what we want from Gucci? Unlike with say, Gareth Pugh, no one is looking for anything ground-breaking from Gucci, the brand’s customer just wants sexy clothes with enough ladylike refinement to not feel like they might be crossing the line.
While the day looks focused on fur and mixing clean, lean tailoring with looser pants and skirts, Gucci has recently gotten into the couture business (Versace-style), and it had a noticeable influence on this season’s evening wear. The gorgeous gowns that closed the show featured elaborate hand-dyed and hand-sewn silk flowers, notably voluminous on shoulders, to complement the high-high slits and plunging necklines of the draped sheer bottom stunners.
Photos: Vincenzo Grillo, IMAXtree.
