Gucci S/S 2016
Alessandro Michele unveils his powerfully romantic Gucci spring show

Mood board: Richly upholstered screens and a carpet slithering with serpents and blooming florals set the stage for a powerfully romantic Gucci show. New creative director Alessandro Michele is coming into his own at the historic Florentine house, where his vision of a more poetic, natural, eccentric, but deeply layered, woman translates into beautifully intricate, very individual, delicate clothes that somehow also manage to be light as air. If this is the new direction of luxury, sign us up please.
Best in show: The workmanship was off the charts in this luxury-fused collection, leaving our jaws dropping at nearly every look. Most exquisite was the chinoiserie series that was either painted over Gucci’s formerly dusty GG canvas print (transforming a basic trench coat into cherry blossom wonderland) or embroidered into grass green tracksuits with mink trim.
Finishing touches: Michele was formerly Gucci’s accessories designer so it’s no surprise that the accessory department has been hit with a serious dose of style steroids. Gucci’s famous web detailing (the red and green or blue and green thick striping) was transformed into cool low block heeled mules, while the flat horsebit loafer mule is now covered in an ornate embroidered silk. The best of the rest – geek-girl 1970s eyewear, intellectual berets and flamboyant chandelier earrings – all added an eccentric layer of coolness.
INFORMATION
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
JJ Martin
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Alessandro Michele to exit his role as creative director of Gucci
Italian house Gucci has confirmed Alessandro Michele will leave after a seven-year tenure in which his eclectic aesthetic has proved a critical and commercial success
By Jack Moss
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023: Fendi to Prada
From Prada’s exploration of archetypal menswear garments to JW Anderson’s much-anticipated debut in the city, the best of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023, as it happens
By Jack Moss
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022: Prada to Bottega Veneta
In this extended report, Scarlett Conlon reports live from the Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as they take place on the runway
By Scarlett Conlon
-
Gucci Love Parade LA to Bottega Veneta in Detroit: American fashion must-sees
Grab your headscarf, sunglasses and driving shoes as we take a stylish road trip around the USA, where cities including Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit are dialling up their fashion focus with events, activations and runway shows
By Laura Hawkins
-
Step inside a Gucci campaign in Florence
Gucci Garden ‘Archetypes' exhibition brings to life 15 of Alessandro Michele's most iconic advertising campaigns for the Florentine brand
By Scarlett Conlon
-
The filmic vision of Paris’ virtual men’s fashion week
Take an in-depth look at the trends of Paris' fashion week for Spring/Summer 2021, where brands turned to the moving image to express their collections virtually
By Pei-Ru Keh
-
A decade of fashion show history in pictures
British photographer Jason Lloyd Evans shares his favourite backstage images, from the runway shows of Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Armani, Proenza Schouler, Versace and more
By Jason Lloyd-Evans - Photography
-
Gucci's Seoul show considers radical perspectives on ‘otherness’
The fashion label sponsors ‘No Space, Just a Place, which invites guests to consider radical perspectives on ‘otherness’, led by Tunisian-born curator Myriam Ben Salah
By Andy St Louis