More often than not, Alessandro Michele makes it to the headlines for his take on gender equality and activism through thought-provoking designs. We witnessed Gucci’s larger-than-life Cruise 2020 fashion show at the iconic Capitoline Museums, Rome and it’s safe to say that it was yet another testament to Michele’s genius.
Bringing in a mix of the ancient Roman times with the current political scenario in regard with women’s equality, the choice of location to showcase his latest collection is not only resonant to his childhood, but, he adds,
I live in Rome and Rome lives in me, if you start from that perspective nothing is ancient and/or old, everything is contemporary, because everything is there.
Reading about his collection and his thought behind how he curated his show, gave us insight into just how important it is to talk about world-issues in a relevant way.
Famous for oscillating between the histories of the past and having a vision for the future, Michele’s designs always manage to deliver an ideal mix of the two.
“The show is a hymn to freedom” said by Gucci’s creative director, the Cruise 2020 collection saw a strong reference from the ‘70s blended with a sartorial meter that ran from Disney motifs to laws regarding the reproductive rights of women. Talking about his latest collection—which was an ode to freedom of choice—to WWD, Michele said
It [1970s] was a historical moment when women—finally—rejected all the constraints that were imposed in the previous centuries and they became free. That’s why I am paying homage to the Italian law regarding abortion, the law number 194. It’s unbelievable that around the world there are still people who believe that they can control a woman’s body, a woman’s choice. I will always stand behind the freedom of being, always.
Popular feminist slogans that date back to the ‘70s like ‘My body my choice’ were embroidered on the reverse of structured jackets. In light of recent events; sweaters featured significant dates like “22.05.1978”, the day when the Italian law legalised abortion as an irony to the enforcement of the latest law regarding abortion rights in Alabama. One of the t-shirts saw the logo of Gucci’s ‘Chime For Change’ campaign that funds and supports projects that deal with sexual and maternal health, to an embroidered reproductive organ on the waistline of a dress. Undoubtedly, Michele did not fall back on expressing his vision for freedom and gender equality.
While his collection truly delivered the essence of freedom of choice, and embraced women in all their forms, the lineup saw a whole lot of whimsy pieces—ornate embroidery, intricate embellishments, usage of appliqué, and a huge nod to going all out on mixing diverse range of prints. The colour palette consisted muted shades to neon hues along with tweed fabric, checkered suits to playful floral prints. Fur had a huge moment on the runway, and a major fashion takeaway from this show is to never stop your sartorial imagination from running wild! Scroll ahead for all of our favourite designs!
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection
Gucci Cruise 2020 collection