Gucci 100 years Anniversary – Fall 2021-2022 collection. Review by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE.

In 2021 Gucci celebrates 100 years of its existence with Gucci Aria – a film presenting Fall Winter 2021-2022 collections for men and women, collaboration between Gucci and Balenciaga (as a part of the show), and announcement about a new movie “The House of Gucci” starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver.

The story of the house starts with Guccio Gucci who entered Italian market in 1921 when he opened his eponymous shop in Florence to sell leather goods, primarily saddles designed by a team of local artisans.

To celebrate 100 years Anniversary Gucci arrange production of the movie “The House of Gucci” starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver. Movie based on a book about the 1995 murder-for-hire of one of Gucci’s grandchildren, Maurizio, and the subsequent trial and conviction of his ex-wife. Patrizia Reggiani, portrayed by Lady Gaga, served 16 years in prison for contracting the murder.

The story of Gucci fashion house has many fascinating stories over the years.

In 1990s Gucci entered into its “Porno Chic” era as the lascivious designs (and controversial advertisements) of creative director Tom Ford revived sales and kept the brand in the minds (and pants) of luxury consumers the world over.

“The myth of foundation is reinhabited in the light of the present,” – said Alessandro Michele Artistic director of Gucci in press-release. “I found out that 100 years had passed. In the show, I included elements from how I envision the mythology of the brand.” “Gucci Aria” the name of the show interpreted as “a singular voice, taking its turn in the spotlight, in the Italian language ‘air’”. In the press-release of the collection Alessandro Michele calls it “a deep and ecstatic diving in everything we yearningly miss today… a jubilee of breath.”

In the year of Gucci’s centenary, Alessandro Michele opens the locks of history, only to find a deeply personal vision of the mythology that surrounds the brand. Standing sentinel is the Savoy Club – a tribute to The Savoy London hotel where founder Guccio Gucci worked as a liftboy in his youth. Once inside, Aria’s “hacking lab made of incursions and metamorphoses”, – said Alessandro Michele.

The soundtrack to the show “hacked” by Alessandro Michele and mixed by Lawrence Rothman, comprises a selection of songs featuring the word Gucci, speaking to the staying power of the Maison and how profusely it contributed to the vocabulary of pop culture. On the language of Alessandro Michele is simply “Gucci Gang”.

He also unveiled a collaboration with Balenciaga as part of its Fall Winter 2021-2022 collection. Alessandro Michele preferred to speak of “hacking” rather than collaboration between the houses. “I plundered the nonconformist rigor of Demna Gvasalia”, – he said in the press-release. The various signature pieces of Balenciaga have been revisited, bags in particular, while another range sees the Gucci monogram coexist with the Balenciaga branding.

The show mixed the codes of both houses, most notably on a selection of co-branded, broad-shouldered blazers. There were also Balenciaga-emblazoned hourglass bags, high-rise boots, and jewelry. After the show Alessandro Michele explained that “Gucci becomes for me a hacking lab, made of incursions and metamorphoses … I have plundered the nonconformist rigor of Demna Gvasalia and the sexual tension of Tom Ford.”

In celebration of that milestone of Gucci house Vogue got so excited after Zoom interview with Alessandro Michele that published online 4 times the same article and the same images about 10 min video presentation: Gucci Fall 2021, Gucci Resort 2022 Menswear, Gucci Resort 2022, Gucci Fall 2021 Menswear. I hope no one vomited there from the excitement. Perhaps to publish the same article and the same images one more time – that would certainly do it…

Talking about concept of “too much” or “disproportional” Alessandro Michele outdone himself for this milestone celebration of the Gucci house. The pseudo-intellectual and mostly pretentious presentation he organized in front of the camera of award-winning photographer (as he mentioned it dozen of times in the press-release and his instagram) for the sake of expressing his thoughts and visions. He expressed his overexcitement like usual, with the body parts. Not heads, but this time with the human hearts adored by Swarovski crystals (thanks Gucci, not ovaries or gallbladder or liver). He showed his overexcitement in the presenting the looks of Fall 2021-2022 collection to the press as a concept of moving gif files. We started this concept as moving looks for the covers of the articles from 2017. But CHECK THIS OUT…

See all LOOKS of Gucci Fall Winter 2021-2022