From collaborations with Dickies, Harry Styles and Palace to Spring/Summer 2023’s viral sensation that was the “Twinsburg” runway show, and of course its Creative Director Alessandro Michele announcing his departure from the House, 2022 was quite the year for Gucci.
After seven years at the brand, Michele had brought Gucci back to its former glory of the Tom Ford hay days; sex was intertwined with heritage, flower power mingled with functional fashion, and even athleisure was explored under the then-CD’s nostalgic rose-tinted vision.
The results were extraordinary: people became fans of the House’s new identity, one punctuated in whimsical references (à la “HA HA HA” by Harry Styles), while others favored Michele’s maximalist touch of unapologetic glamor. Muses were cherry-picked with a keen eye for millennial and Gen-Z influence — Billy Eilish, Styles, Miley Cyrus, Wet Leg, Florence Welch, Jared Leto, and Lana Del Rey to name just a few.
Presenting its Fall/Winter 2023 collection at the menswear round of Milan Fashion Week, Gucci’s latest collection is actually one designed by an in-house design team that was closely linked to Michele. Think of it as a similar approach to Louis Vuitton’s recent collections, bar the upcoming Colm Dillane-designed one.
Craftsmanship was a major component of the collection. Sequin overkill took place on trousers and tank tops, glistening against the lights that marched to the beat of a live performance by the rock band Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog. Puffy trench coats delicately fell and draped along the carpet, while the structure of a leather and shearling jacket looked as if the model was coated in armor.
Overall, Gucci FW23 was a collection of the House’s greatest hits, delicately balanced to reflect the past and the transitions expected to come from the brand next time.
Full Collection below
