An Ode to Gucci Cruise 2019

All hail Michele

I started taking an online course recently and it’s reignited my passion for fashion (I’m sorry I said that but there was no way around it).

I had sort of melted into the day to day monotony of working and was getting a touch of the depresh (depression) so I decided that an online class in something I’m interested in might free me from the shackles of adult life. The class is a fashion journalism course which has been a love of mine since I saw States of Undress on VICE several years ago. Hailey Benton Gates was the host of the 2 season series on viceland that showcased beauty, fashion and style that goes  beyond those topics to shine light on social issues like gender and race in ‘unconventional’ places like Palestine, Russia and Pakistan to name a few. It debuted in 2016 and I remember being totally awestruck by the possibility that this could even be a job. I highly recommend watching that show because it was definitely a catalyst to documenting global fashion in places aside from Paris, Milan and New York. Think of it like Parts Unknown but clothes.

One of the first pieces of media that we watched in this course was the Gucci resort runway show from 2019 that I hadn’t seen in a long time. It seems much more relevant now to showcase all the magic that Alessandro Michele created during his time at Gucci and due to Michele’s exiting of Gucci and the horrendous (IMO) show that was just put out by the new CD of Gucci, Sabato de Sarno. The show was lacking all personality that was once synonymous with Gucci and that Michele had done for the brand. I really suggest you watch this runway on YouTube because WOWWWWW it’s unreal…

The show took place in France at the Alyscamps burial ground with a bone-chilling cathedral bell soundtrack and a live line of fire down the runway. The show was dripping with excess: textiles and patterns, mixing and layering with heaps of accessories that had nods to historical elements and captivating storylines told through the clothes that transfixed the audience. I can only describe the collection and show as haunting. All of the models were styled individually and eclectically yet the collection was cohesive, it made sense. An amalgamation of jewel tones, primary colours and pastels played off of eachother to create something ethereal. Heavy draped gowns and robes evocative of royalty, lush robes and tapestries reminiscent of historical figures, queens, kings, fortune tellers. This collection also showcased the Chateau Marmont collaboration that the brand did that year. (The XL Jackie chateau marmont bag is my ultimate grail).

There was something wicked about this show and it’s evident through the choices Michele made to evoke that sinister feeling. All this to say the new era of Gucci was off to a rough start, hopefully there’s better things to come although nothing will beat Alessandro Michele’s reign at Gucci.

Here are a couple of my favourite looks from the show as well as a link on Vogue’s website to the entire collection.

Voguehttps://www.vogue.com › gucciGucci Resort 2019 Collection