Surreal Gucci wows Milan fashion week

Transported to Michele's fantastical dream land

 MILAN -- Gucci wowed the audience on the first day of Milan fashion week along with Roberto Cavalli, Grinko and other internationally renowned labels, fashion critics said Thursday. The glorified brand certainly stepped up to the plate, leaving other fashion houses with a tough act to follow.

  Alessandro Michele, Gucci Creative Director since January 2015, worked from his belief that “fashion is the most beautiful illusion one can see." This was certainly evident in the surreal, dream-like theme of this year’s catwalk, complete with an intentionally obstructive pink haze and copious amounts of smoke.

 The creative mastermind claimed, “every piece tells a story steeped in wonder, phantasmagoria and fantasy", as spectators were transported to various eras and dimensions through the distorted lens of a rather abstract exhibition.  

 With such a dark, gothic background, Michele’s use of colour was made all the more spectacular, paying particular focus to pink shades. Inspiration was gained from the illustrations of artistic genius Jayde Fish, originally discovered through Instagram.

 Captioned by the intriguing words, ‘Hollywood Cemetery Forever’ and accompanied by dated images of Venetian harlots, Michele stayed true to the vintage punk style which the industry craves. Indeed, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

 It appears the objective was to subvert our typical perceptions and warp our viewpoint in order to appreciate each piece for what it is -- an art form.

 However, this raises the question often tackled by critics of whether fashion week has become more about the show than the clothes. Are the sparkling special effects and various backdrops stealing the limelight away from the designs themselves?

 Carlo Capasa, president of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, thinks not, claiming, “one must find a way to surprise the spectator in order to become a real event … it is the only way to show the world the true spirit of a brand.”

 Hence, squinting through the rosy fog, the audience definitely saw enough to recognise the classically extravagant world of Gucci and its visionary puppeteer, Alessandro Michele.

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'Hollywood Cemetery Forever'