Fashion and film industries are closely intertwined. Whether it’s iconic style moments in cult-favorite movies or celebs partying with creative designers at the Met Gala, the two worlds have mingled since they were born into existence. Alessandro Michele, who took over Gucci’s reins in 2015, has tightened those ties. Michele, who has a loyal following, including Harry Styles, Dakota Johnson, and Dakota Johnson, exposed us to a modern interpretation of the Italian house, full of eccentricity and ruffled tops. Gucci is the definition camp. They take themselves seriously, but allow for exploration and whimsy. We’re all in on the joke, but no one is supposed to laugh. Gucci is, in some ways, a deadpan comedy.
For the brand’s ‘Love Parade,’ an extension of Gucci’s 100-year anniversary celebration, Michele set his sights on Hollywood, turning the Walk of Fame into his runway. According to the designer’s press release, his mother worked in film, setting the stage for a lifelong affinity for old glamour. Michele waxed poetically about the ephemeral power Hollywood has over us, writing in the show notes:
This boulevard of stars is a perfect support for my unrestrained love for the classical world. Hollywood is, afterall, a Greek temple that is home to pagan divinities. Actors and actresses in Hollywood are regarded as heroes of myth. They are hybrid creatures capable of holding both divine transcendence (and mortal existence) simultaneously, the real and the imaginary. They are the symbols of a new cosmogony that embodies the persistence of sacred. Aphrodite, Theseus, Pandora, and Medusa still live in Hollywood’s Olympus. Beyond reach, yet, so human.
The multifaceted stereotypes of Hollywood were all represented through Gucci’s fashion-forward farce. Its lens translated cowboy and western hats to its viewers. A gilded snake is perfectly fit for Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra. Veronica Lake’s boudoir robes took form as airy feathered gowns that we suspect are destined for Dakota Johnson’s next turn on the red carpet (who was in attendance, chatting away with Gwyneth Paltrow).
The runway wasn’t just influenced by Hollywood’s elite, but laden with them. Macaulay Culkin played the role of a sequined Hunter S. Thompson in a Hawaiian shirt, starring alongside Gucci’s usual clan: Jared Leto, Jodie Turner-Smith, Jeremy Pope, Steve Lacy, St. Vincent, Phoebe Bridgers, and more all walked the runway.
The show was held under palm trees and flashing lights. It was a spectacle that was as fashion-forward as it gets, further proving the industry’s rapid departure from New York. That’s show business, baby.
Source: elle