From collaborations with Dickies, Harry Styles and Palace to the viral Spring/Summer 2023 sensation that was the ‘Twinsburg’ runway show, and of course creative director Alessandro Michele announcing his retirement from House, 2022 has been quite the year for Gucci.
After seven years at the brand, Michele brought Gucci back to its former Tom Ford hay-day glory; sex mingled with heritage, flower power mingled with functional fashion, and even sport was explored under the nostalgic pink vision of the CD of the time.
The results were extraordinary: people became fans of House’s new identity, one punctuated by whimsical references (à la Harry Styles’ “HA HA HA”), while others favored Michele’s maximalist touch of unapologetic glamour. The muses were chosen with a keen eye for millennial and Gen-Z influence – Billy Eilish, Styles, Miley Cyrus, Wet Leg, Florence Welch, Jared Leto and Lana Del Rey to name a few – keeping the brand relevant. in addition to a crowd it rarely reached before Michele’s appointment in 2015. The numbers matched that; during Michele’s tenure, revenues nearly tripled from €3.9 billion in 2015 to €9.7 billion in 2021. In several periods, quarterly growth approached 50%.
So with that in mind, where will Gucci go next and how will it get there? Kicking off Milan Fashion Week.
Presenting its Fall/Winter 2023 collection on the menswear round of Milan Fashion Week, Gucci’s latest collection is actually one designed by its own design team that has been closely linked to Michele. Think of it as a similar approach to recent Louis Vuitton collections, except for the upcoming Colm Dillane-designed collection.
Together, the team followed an ethos of improvisation. As the brand notes, “Improvisation is a collaborative act. When the free impulses of individual minds they intertwine, collective expressions emerge.” With that comes reflection and Gucci FW23 was nothing short of a walk through his history books, albeit recontextualized for today.
‘Crystal GG’, a new patent canvas, was used across overall-looking workwear, as well as the house’s signature bags and shoes. These jumpsuits also feature slashes on the back, a nod to the Tom Ford-era sex appeal that continued to permeate much of the collection. From cut-off knees on oversized suits to white tank tops that went deep into the neckline, there was a consistent thread of Ford’s influence. The piston lock redesign was another throwback to Ford, as were the motorcycle skins and coats that wouldn’t look out of place in a Y2K campaign.
Sportswear numbers harkened back to the 1980s with hot pink, satin blue and a quilted equestrian jacket that acknowledged House’s extensive graphic and branding archive, while the cuts of each piece were suited to today’s relaxed aesthetic. Covered in ‘GG’ motif in a range of subtle hues such as pink or the brand’s signature tan, the ‘Crystal GG’ boot is the perfect special accent when cuffed with jersey pyjamas, jodhpurs and ski pants.
The main component of the collection was, of course, craftsmanship. Exaggerated sequins played out on pants and tank tops, glistening against lights marching to the beat of a live rock band Marc Ribot’s ceramic dog. Fluffy trench coats gently fell and hung along the carpet, while the structure of the leather and shearling jacket looked like the model was covered in armour.
Overall, Gucci FW23 was a collection of House’s greatest hits, delicately balanced to reflect the past and the transitions expected from the brand next. The Gucci FW23 collection can be seen in the gallery above.
Stay tuned to Hypebeast for more Milan Fashion Week FW23 content in the coming days.