ARIA 時尚詠歎調

TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang

在GUCCI 發表100 週年時尚大秀前,所有時尚迷們包含著時尚媒體、資深時尚評論等想必引頸翹望,就看著GUCCI能夠在迎接百年大秀上玩出什麼花樣。會這麼說想必也是受到了「開雲集團」在年初時發布的2020年度財報影響,當大家都開始懷疑 Alessandro Michele 這樣大膽且復古的服裝是否無法駕馭於日常,又或是在Alessandro Michele剛上任時的大膽文藝哲學秀場作風是否已視覺審美疲勞,更是在近期頻繁的聯名轟炸。如此種種席捲而來的負面聲浪對於GUCCI究竟是轟頂壓力又或是一場創意轉機,Gucci 最新時尚大秀《ARIA 時尚詠歎調》就在這裡帶你一探究竟。

GUCCI 創意總監 Alessandro Michele 就像是一位哲學思想派的故事家,從他上任以來每一場秀可以說是驚喜不斷,像是一場魔術盛會,由感知帶著你進入另一個世界。

懷舊哲學,宗教儀式感帶有著文藝氣息,看著一套一套彷彿出現於維多利亞時代的服裝與7.80年代的復古時尚,無法言喻的戲劇張力感,是在看完每一場秀後的震撼。 Alessandro Michele 的 GUCCI 不是單純設計服裝的商業交易,更是以完美訴說著每一場故事。為慶祝Gucci 創立一百週年,Alessandro Michele以全新Gucci Aria系列安排了一段完美的故事線,從秀上的一開始的The Savoy Hotel,宛如回到了GUCCI 歷史最早的開端,品牌創立人Guccio Gucci曾於英國 The Savoy Hotel 擔任門僮,也是因為這個職位的觀察下激發了對於馬具與皮件的影響與堅持。

從秀上的一開始的Savoy Hotel,宛如回到了GUCCI 歷史最早的開端,品牌創立人Guccio Gucci曾於英國 Savoy Hotel擔任門僮,也是因為這個職位的觀察下激發了對於馬具與皮件的影響與堅持

GUCCI ARIA 開場第一套激起所有 GUCCI 迷的目光,Tom Ford 執掌下的 GUCCI深植人心,甚至是在Instagram上都可以看到擁有多人追蹤的Tom Ford for Gucci,集結了優雅性感於一身的Tom Ford時期,可以說是時尚經典中的經典。為致敬 Tom Ford,第一套就是出自於 GUCCI 1996 秋冬的酒紅天鵝絨西裝,男模在優柔又強勢的用色以及西裝剪裁傳遞去性別化的概念,也與Alessandro Michele 所要傳達的意念相同。另外,我們也看到 Tom Ford 歷史的重點水鑽心臟、在戰爭時期因物資不足而以竹子製成的的竹節包、最近強勢歸來的GUCCI賈姬包Jackie 1961,傳奇影星 Grace Kelly 的花卉印花,這些過去的歷史足跡就像是史詩大片一樣的重演,看得好不過癮。

最後,也是最令人驚喜的重頭戲,與 Balenciaga 的融合。即便此次並不是實際的聯名,而是單純的擷取一些Balenciaga 的設計元素,但這樣令人瞠目結舌的結合已經令所有時尚迷們摩拳擦掌急著搶購。當然一切回到了最實際的業績方面,這絕對會是一筆佳作,甚至在 2021第一季度的財報顯示GUCCI穩坐開雲集團一姊之寶座。在這場百年慶生宴當中,歡慶狂歡的影子下,有著 Alessandro Michele 這幾年對於非主流美學的堅持,也是看完這場秀後,相信所有的人對於批評都閉上了嘴。

最近強勢歸來的Gucci 賈姬包Jackie 1961 Balenciaga 的融合。

Right before GUCCI presented its 100th anniversary fashion show, it was no doubt the talk of the year amongst all fashion fans including the media and critics, as they all waited to see what kind of creative content would GUCCI be able to come up with for its centennial year. It is true that after luxury conglomerate Kering saw revenues decline in its 2020 annual report, people started to doubt whether or not Alessandro Michele’s bold and retro style is suitable for daily life. Is the public visually exhausted by the Italian designer’s daring Renaissance-like approaches? Or is it the constant bombardment of collaborations that just doesn’t seem appealing anymore? But the real question here is: will this wave of negative feedback be another unbearable pressure to GUCCI or can it become a creative silver lining? Let’s find out as we take a look at Michele’s debut and the House’s latest collection “Aria.”

First look of the GUCCI Aria collection.

As the creative director of GUCCI, Michele is like a philosophical storyteller. Ever since he took office, his every show can be said to be full of surprises. Like a fantastical feast, he takes us into another realm through visual perception. Embodying a nostalgic philosophy and religious rituals that radiate with this literary ambience, the looks all resemble a Victorian era fashion and vintage clothing from the ’70s and ’80s—an unspeakable theatrical tension is the shock of watching each of Michele’s shows. GUCCI under his lead is not merely about the commercial transaction of clothings, but more about how to perfectly tell the stories of the fabrics.

To celebrate the centenary of the Italian brand, Michele debuts his brand new GUCCI Aria collection that tells the perfect story, starting with The Savoy where everything began. The founder of the brand Guccio Gucci used to work at The Savoy in London as a liftboy, the job that inspired his leather luggage business and his love for equestrian and leather accessories. 

The Aria show opens with a look that caught every GUCCI fans’ attention. The GUCCI under Tom Ford’s leadership was a time that was deeply rooted in everyone’s heart. We even see the hashtag, Tom Ford for GUCCI, trending on Instagram. A perfect combination of elegant and sexy, the Tom Ford period is with no doubt the embodiment of an ultimate classic. Paying homage to a look that defined Ford’s time, the red velvet tuxedo from GUCCI’s AW96 collection allows the gentle but bold color tones and the tailoring of the suit to break the shackles of gender norm, which also aligns with the message Michele is trying to send. We also see the iconic Tom Ford heart-shaped jewel-encrusted minaudière, GUCCI Bamboo, the Jackie 1961 that had recently made a strong comeback, and the Grace Kelly-inspired logo print—these house signatures from the past 100 years come together like an epic historical film that is breathtakingly heartfelt.  

Finally, the most surprising highlight, GUCCI’s partnership with Balenciaga. Although this is not an official collaboration and Michele simply captured motifs from Balenciaga to add a new twist to the collection, this stunning combination has already become the anticipation of the year for all fashion fans. And of course, everything has to return to practicality. We see a sharp revue return in the first quarter of 2021 with GUCCI’s excelling performance as the brand kicks off its latest collection. In this centennial celebration and amidst the joyful carnival that follows, we see Alessandro Michele’s insistence on honoring non-mainstream aesthetics in the past six years. As for the doubts and criticisms? The GUCCI Aria has successfully shut them all down and turned the tides with brilliance and creativity.