Unless you have been living under a rock for the last couple of years (if you have been living under a rock then good for you, and I hope you are very happy, you rock dweller you) then you cannot have missed the monumental changes within the fashion landscape, the endless designer carousels (I'm still not over Marc Jacobs' departure from Louis Vuitton), the show schedule debate and the ever deepening debate surrounding gender.
One of the labels that has bloomed during this recent period is Gucci, using all three elements of change in the current fashion market to completely transform its output, and client. Gucci has not seen success this great since the legendary Tom Ford era.
At the helm Alessandro Michele a former head of accessories at Gucci, has tapped into what I believe is instrumental in this change of fate for Gucci and that is gender. The new Gucci sees a slew of 'it' products (please feel free to send me any of them Gucci), star studded endorsement and record breaking sales. In a more is more style Alessandro's Gucci dresses its client in floral covered garments, stacks of rings and huge sunglasses whether they are a Bert or a Bertha.
As we have moved into the 21st century the acceptance levels for people living how they want and not how they feel they should according to society has increased. This is not everywhere obviously, take a trip to Hartlepool you'll see. Houses such as Gucci have been at the forefront in producing output that not only accepts this new client but makes them feel normal, by including such themes in his collections for Gucci, Michele has made the label a beacon for, acceptance and fluidity.
In all the recent Gucci shows; Cruise 2017, Men's S/S 17 and Women's A/W 16/17, and indeed Michele's debut menswear show, there have been both male and female models. Floral suits many would deem as womens-wear have been sported by mainstream male singer Harry Styles. In doing this Michele has highlighted that clothes and accessories are just that, they are not gendered, their purpose is not affected by your gender. For example the backless loafer, available from size 3 up to size 13 shows that all an item need do is fit you, your shoes don't care what's going on between your legs, nor do I for that matter.
So the lure of Gucci goes beyond shiny things, it's the mentality of a company that provides a product and leaves the choice completely up to you. I'm not going to be buying a dress (or anything for that matter because I'm poor) because in terms of my sense of style that is not how I wish to dress. However, you can see the point I'm making; providing a selection of garments presented in a multitude of ways allows complete freedom for the end user. All we need to do now is tackle traditional media and out dated perceptions and that may take much longer, but Gucci has taken a definite step in the right direction. So thank you Alessandro.
However knowing me it would be rude of me not to include some of the items that I am lusting over right now :
What would you buy from Gucci? Do you like genderless products? Let me know in the comments.
Arrivederci for now my darlings...
Images:
Cover Image: Gucci Spring/Summer 2016, Shot by Glen Luchford, I do not own the image.
Items: All taken from Gucci.com, I do not own these images.
Disclamer:
I am aware that not everyone in and from Hartlepool are hostile and behind the times as I implied, as is the case in all areas of Britain it is the small few who cause the biggest problems for anyone who dares to not follow the flock.
I just want to make sure that my musings do not offend anyone and I wish to be as inclusive as possible...