THE SECOND COMING OF GUCCI

 

As of 2021, Gucci stands amongst the top 3 fashion luxury brands in the world. This is a far cry from how it was faring in 2013-2014 when it had Frida Giannini at its helm. Ever since Alessandro Michele took the reins, Gucci has scaled new eclectic heights and found resonance in millennial and Gen Z closets alike. This turn-around the brand has experienced seems like a miraculous second-coming from the time it was flailing into obscurity under its predecessor’s creative direction. This seismic re-invention has reverberated through the fashion world which can be observed by its soaring sales figures. 

The brand’s reinvention is a maximalist’s dream that celebrates individualism and 

self-expression, gone are the days of sterile, homogenous minimalism. With the new consumers age-group being millennial and Gen Z, who celebrate individuality and freedom of self-expression, Gucci’s redefined aesthetic has sparked a renewed love for the brand world over.

Apart from the eclectic, androgynous and vintage fashion re-emergence that were bought forth by Alessandro’s vision, he has also managed to craft a world where sustainability and inclusiveness are at the forefront of the brand’s ethos. The brand has managed to display emotions before rationality at times under the strategic guidance of Marco Bizzari, President and CEO of Gucci. The new Gucci is open to new ways of thinking, which was demonstrated when an artist by the name of Gucci Ghost was making art with the intertwined double G logo which is the brand’s signature. Gucci could have easily sued him, instead it collaborated with him and brought him on to walk the A/W 2016-17 runway, which goes to show that fostering inclusivity and openness was not just done on the runway but also behind austere boardroom doors. 

Alessandro has also been astute in his presentation, while his collection has been a breath of much-needed fresh air and distinctive, he has also revisited and revamped some of the brand’s signature pieces like Gucci’s iconic GG logo, canvas bags and the horse-bit loafers which were lined with fur. The fur-lined horse bit loafers were a must-have item along with the intertwined Gucci logo belt which were staples in fashion-forward Instagram grids. The theatricality of Michelle’s fashion shows, like the models carrying life-sized identical severed heads, or baby dragons and iguanas and fashion shows like the A/W 2020 where the behind-the-scenes prepping was showcased for the world to see encased in a clear carousel, have the audiences waiting with baited breath for the next collection. 

Collaborations with Gen Z and millennial darlings like Harry Styles, Bille Eilish, Jared Leto and Lana Del Rey have only helped catapult this era of Gucci into a super brand status.