At Gucci‘s fall ’20 men’s show today in Milan, creative director Alessandro Michele was feeling young at heart. Here are nine things to know about the show’s youth-inspired collection.
1. The Theme
The collection, named Masculine Plural, represented Michele’s take on masculinity today. He wrote in his show notes that the idea was “deconstructing the ideal of masculinity as it has been historically established,” namely “a macho virility ideal that removes vulnerability and dependence.” He opined that it was “time to celebrate a man who is free to practice self-determination, without social constraints, without authoritarian sanctions, without suffocating stereotypes … and in doing his, turning back time, learning to unlearn.”
2. The Silhouette
Silhouettes featured both exaggerated volumes like adult clothing as worn by children plus crops and shrunken pieces like kids’ clothing worn by grownups. The idea, as alluded to in the show notes, being a return to a more naive time before masculine gender identity has been “molded by violently toxic stereotypes.”
3. The Invitation
Likewise, the invite to the show was a card written in a child’s handwriting, inviting guests to attend a fifth birthday rave. Alessandro Michele was appointed as Gucci creative director in January 2015 so this month marks his five-year anniversary in the role.
4. The Shoes
The key shoes worn by Michele’s cast were those flat Mary Jane T-bar styles many children wear as school uniform plus penny loafers — this is Gucci after all. There were also a smattering of sneakers and lace-up soccer boots. Many came teamed with school-regulation edition white ankle and knee socks.
5. The Key Collab
Michele collaborated with famous department store Liberty of London on key pieces including shirts, a puffer jacket and a bag all done it that iconic ditsy floral print.
6. The Instagram-Worthy Details
Alongside that Liberty collab, homespun sweaters reading “mon petit chou” (“my little cabbage” in French, a term of endearment) and the new square-shaped box bag like a kid’s lunchbox are set to fill our social feeds.
7. That Coed Confusion
Michele has said he is calling time on coed shows (which he began in 2016), choosing to split up the sexes once more to better focus on the details. He didn’t construe this too rigidly though, and there were still some women’s looks in the show. However, FN reached out to Gucci, which confirmed that it was officially men’s. If you’re setting out to break down stereotypes, you don’t want to be overly prescriptive.
8. The Front Row
Anderson Paak, Tyler the Creator, Kelvin Harrison Jr, Jared Leto, Mark Ronson, Phoebe Collings-James, South Korean singer Kai and Japanese rock stars were just a few of the celebrity packed front row. Self-styled industry watch dogs, Diet Prada duo Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler also scored an invite.
9. The Venue
Gucci usually shows its collections in its Milan headquarters, dubbed The Gucci Hub. However, this season Michele switched things up for new location: the Palazzo delle Scintille. Milan’s answer to Paris’ Grand Palais with its soaring oval-shaped roof, it was constructed in 1923 by architect Paolo Vietti Violi for a velodrome and has since hosted trade shows as well as sporting and music events.
