Gucci Autumn/Winter 2012-2013 Collection

Gucci

“This is modern day romanticism,” said Gucci creative director Frida Giannini, by way of explanation for her Autumn/Winter 2012-13 collection. Yes, it is Romantic and dark without being sinister.

It was a good combination between Gucci’s signature moneyed attitude, hard military lines and a touch of dandy grace: flat heeled riding boots, wide cut, cropped jackets with gold buttons and softly belted velvet smoking jackets, with plenty more velvet making up appliqué flowers on translucent chiffon and lace blouses, long skirts split at the back, riding trousers that flounced wide over each thigh, and very slightly glittering leopard print full length column dresses.

The palette barely ventured from black – and when it did, barely so. Dresses and skirts smothered in feathers had an inky glow; purple, burgundy, navy, forest green, dark olive and brown subtly eased out of the black, while the models’ hair - pulled back in two twisted strands either side of their forehead - gave the collection an innocent, nymph-like atmosphere despite the luxury androgyny on show.

 

Wide genie pants worn with tunic dresses and Seventies style low-waisted billowing chiffon dresses, worn with simple heeled sandals, provided a taster of daywear, before silk dresses featuring barely there floral prints of fading tulips or pale yellow flowers were fanned stiffly at the hem which spiralled the body.

Finally, a beautiful array of jewelled chiffon evening gowns appeared one after another - their embellishments in dark green or purple encrusting the entire bodice or simply gathering at the shoulder and hip and leaving the back bare. It might be too big a statement to wear on the Oscars red carpet, but we’d love to see somebody try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frida Giannini is widely acclaimed to have made Gucci her own since taking on the creative directorship in 2006 – while her translation of the label has yet to carve out as strong identity for the brand as her predecessor Tom Ford did, her fresh contemporary femininity has landed, and sold, well there.