Fashion Notes: Gucci Cruise 2018

Gucci’s dreamland as envisioned by Alessandro Michele gains a mammoth 115 new characters to its lineup, each as exotic and different from the last. Apparitions of Gucci royalty (and occasionally spelt as “GUCCY” on an Elizabethan corset top) in a monogrammed mink cape, a white gown trompe-l’œiled with drapery fit for a Grecian Goddess, a white furry yeti-like dress, and a creature with her skull covered in pearls strode out onto the runway as if a creature emerging from the closet of Narnia for the first time. Monogram and logomania is most definitely still in style, and not going anywhere soon, as demonstrated by Gucci.

Gucci has always embraced parody, most notably with its collaboration with GucciGhost, who had been spoofing the brand years before officially creating work for them. But in the Cruise 2018 collection, one look which stole the show was a mink coat with balloon sleeved jacket in laminated monogram fabric. Many spectators connected the coat to a design of Dapper Dan of Harlem, a tailor to hip hop fashion from the 80’s. Dapper Dan’s signature was in re-appropriating luxury products which bore logos such as that of Gucci, Louis Vuitton and MCM, and turning them into something wearable, albeit a bit loud – not that the hip hop community had a problem with that.

So besides Gucci’s usual manifesto of churning out magical creatures season after season, could there be a new collaboration of the rise? All that we can be sure is, with the trend of re-issuing “real-fakes” amongst labels such as Dolce & Gabbana and Vetements, and of course, Gucci themselves, we are on the edge of our plush velvet seats anticipating the announcement of the next hi/low collaboration.

Oh, and we are lusting after the logo fanny pack and the crystallized GG socks – coming soon to a street style snap near you.