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Gucci takes purple velvet catwalk
By Emily Ford |
April 27, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI'S own fashion week may have officially ended on April 17, but one of the most exciting sartorial events to take place in the city this year came four days later, with the staging of Gucci creative director Frida Giannini's first catwalk show in China.
After the understated performances by mainly local brands, the Italian luxury powerhouse proved its clout with a night of opulent, don't-hold-back-the-champagne glamour, transported from its first outing in Milan and tweaked for the Asian gaze.
Those gathered in the tent on the Bund included film director Jia Zhangke, Hollywood actress Hilary Swank and Chinese movie star Li Bingbing, who will appear in Gucci's new advertising campaign from May. Afterwards, fashion show became rock concert, with a performance by English singer Bryan Ferry, a favorite of live music lover Giannini.
The theme was "Les Fleurs Du Gucci," a kind of intellectual romantic-meets-gothic brooding affair cast on a dark purple catwalk, evoking tortured, suffering artists - immaculately dressed, of course.
"These are tormented poets with an effortless attitude, when it comes to mixing and creating a personal style," Giannini wrote in a note to the collection. "Fabrics that allude to the nineteenth century, softly oversized pieces, shirts with a dandy hint, and the nonchalance of a newly arrived young Hollywood actor."
Models wore their hair in loose waves, their skin white and almost translucent and their lips dark crimson, while the designs on the purple catwalk were all slouchy layers, dandyish smoking jackets in plum and black, and velvet skirts. Later there were lovely, long-sleeved dresses with rose and iris prints, with belted, snipped-in waists and large leather bags.
For Gucci, the first China show by Giannini was a statement of intent. This is a brand that is committed to China, it was saying. Gucci is already the top-tier luxury brand with the biggest presence in China, with an ambitious plan started in 2006 to enter second- and third-tier cities. Virtually all of its 1,500 or so employees on the mainland are Chinese, with just a handful of foreigners, while it is also experimenting with men's-only stores - a concept that would be impossible in Europe where the great majority of luxury goods shoppers are women.
Much of the credit for the brand's transformation in recent years goes to Giannini, who took over from Tom Ford in 2004 with responsibility for accessories, then ready to wear, becoming its overall creative director two years later with the addition of menswear,.
Part of her success has been taking Gucci's designs back to their equestrian roots with the rediscovery of its famous horse motifs. A new bag called the Stirrup used metallic spurs as clasps, while also on show were "saddlebags" made of black crocodile skin - part of the label's move to use exotic leathers.
Giannini also has in spades that mythical star quality that makes a brand sing. When she appeared on stage at the end, long blonde hair in a tight ponytail, she stayed only a few seconds, but the applause rang for minutes.
After the understated performances by mainly local brands, the Italian luxury powerhouse proved its clout with a night of opulent, don't-hold-back-the-champagne glamour, transported from its first outing in Milan and tweaked for the Asian gaze.
Those gathered in the tent on the Bund included film director Jia Zhangke, Hollywood actress Hilary Swank and Chinese movie star Li Bingbing, who will appear in Gucci's new advertising campaign from May. Afterwards, fashion show became rock concert, with a performance by English singer Bryan Ferry, a favorite of live music lover Giannini.
The theme was "Les Fleurs Du Gucci," a kind of intellectual romantic-meets-gothic brooding affair cast on a dark purple catwalk, evoking tortured, suffering artists - immaculately dressed, of course.
"These are tormented poets with an effortless attitude, when it comes to mixing and creating a personal style," Giannini wrote in a note to the collection. "Fabrics that allude to the nineteenth century, softly oversized pieces, shirts with a dandy hint, and the nonchalance of a newly arrived young Hollywood actor."
Models wore their hair in loose waves, their skin white and almost translucent and their lips dark crimson, while the designs on the purple catwalk were all slouchy layers, dandyish smoking jackets in plum and black, and velvet skirts. Later there were lovely, long-sleeved dresses with rose and iris prints, with belted, snipped-in waists and large leather bags.
For Gucci, the first China show by Giannini was a statement of intent. This is a brand that is committed to China, it was saying. Gucci is already the top-tier luxury brand with the biggest presence in China, with an ambitious plan started in 2006 to enter second- and third-tier cities. Virtually all of its 1,500 or so employees on the mainland are Chinese, with just a handful of foreigners, while it is also experimenting with men's-only stores - a concept that would be impossible in Europe where the great majority of luxury goods shoppers are women.
Much of the credit for the brand's transformation in recent years goes to Giannini, who took over from Tom Ford in 2004 with responsibility for accessories, then ready to wear, becoming its overall creative director two years later with the addition of menswear,.
Part of her success has been taking Gucci's designs back to their equestrian roots with the rediscovery of its famous horse motifs. A new bag called the Stirrup used metallic spurs as clasps, while also on show were "saddlebags" made of black crocodile skin - part of the label's move to use exotic leathers.
Giannini also has in spades that mythical star quality that makes a brand sing. When she appeared on stage at the end, long blonde hair in a tight ponytail, she stayed only a few seconds, but the applause rang for minutes.
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