7 Things You Need To Know About The Gucci Aria Collection
The collection, unveiled on April 15, comes as the brand is marking its centennial this year.
Turning 100 calls for a big celebration and Alessandro Michele made sure that Gucci's pandemic-era collection for Fall reflected that significance. Dubbed Gucci Aria (translated to Gucci Air), the 94-look collection provided a reset for the label's next chapter with a hyped-up collaboration and renewed approach to Michele's erstwhile trademark vintage-inflected sensibilities.
“I am trying to renew for the millionth time this brand, this name, this myth, this saga, because Gucci is a complex container that holds many, many things,” noted Michele in his press notes.
Ahead, we list down the many ways this collection offers a breath of fresh air.
The tie-up between these two Kering Group mates have been making the rounds on social media in the lead up to the Gucci Aria debut. Michele, who was in the audience for Gvasalia's debut runway show for Balenciaga's Fall/Winter 2016 collection, shared in his press notes that he "plundered the nonconformist rigour of Demna Gvasalia" as part of Gucci's “hacking lab”.
That creative process saw iconic Balenciaga looks from past seasons such as the sculpted skirt suits and the boots-tights hybrid making a comeback. These items were treated with a variety of prints that featured a mashup of the Balenciaga logo with the likes of Gucci's Flora print or GG Supreme monogram.
Gucci's founder Guccio Gucci had his humble beginning working as an elevator operator in London's iconic Savoy Hotel. Alessandro Michele paid tribute to this history by setting the stage for his Gucci Aria show in an imaginary club called Savoy Club. The name also appeared as a slogan on a leather cap.
The equestrian heritage of the house (Gucci’s started out making saddles and accessories for horseback riders) was celebrated in a big way. Riding boots were ubiquitous and added polish to short suits, jodhpurs, midi dresses and skirts. Harnesses – worn under buttoned-down shirts and with tuxedoes – exuded fetishsized glamour, while other equine-themed accessories came in the form of jockey caps and horse whips.
THE COLLECTION WAS FILMED BY A LEGENDARY DIRECTOR
There was an unmistakably strong MTV vibe with the hyper sleek cinematography of the Gucci Aria film which was lensed by Michele's frequent collaborator Floria Sigismondi. The prolific director is known for exploring the occult and surrealist themes and has worked with the likes of Rihanna, Marilyn Manson, Bjork, and David Bowie, as well as directing episodes of The Handmaid’s Tale.
For Gucci Aria, Sigismondi encapsulated the spirit of the collection in a 15 and a half-minute clip that starts off with a neon-lit street scene outside the Savoy Club. Inside, models walked along a brightly-lit runway lined with flashing cameras, only to enter a utopic Eden, filled with white peacocks, horses and where the models levitated into the sunlight.
Gucci has inspired a dozen or so songs by some of the most exciting artistes like Lil Pump (Gucci Gang), Mier (Gucci On My Bag), and Die Antwood and Dita Von Teese (Gucci Coochie). As the ultimate tribute to the brand's status in the pop culture world, Alessandro Michele collaborated with American musican and visual artist Lawrence Rothman to mix a rousing anthem that featured songs with the words "Gucci" in them. Check out the full Gucci Aria soundtrack on Spotify.
In an interview with trade rag WWD, Alessandro Michele described his former boss Tom Ford as a "genius" because he "understood the magnetic power of the two Gs" in shaping the "ambiguous, erotic, luxurious and hedonistic" vibe of the brand (Ford poached Michele who was then designing accessories for Fendi to be part of Gucci's accessories design team).
Michele's homage to Ford's tremendous legacy in shaping the provocative and hyper-sexual image of Gucci during the '90s to the early 2000s is best seen in the louche silk shirts and the velvet tuxedos of Gucci Aria. One can say that the leather harnesses and fetish-leaning leather accessories are also a nod to Ford.
You never know what to expect with a Gucci show invite. In the past, we've received an ancient Greek mask that came in a crate, a ticking timer, and a pharmacy box filled with knick knacks such as candles and a thread holder. For the Gucci Aria show, the invite came in the form of a retr0-style activity book dubbed Gucciquiz! which let Gucci fans flex their knowledge of the house through riddles, quizzes, crossword puzzles and even Sudoku.