Gucci launches vintage site Vault during Milan Fashion Week

MILAN (AP) – Fashion houses trying to figure out how to reach new eyes after the long ordeal of the pandemic have focused around a singular idea: collaborations.

Many do it, in big and small ways. Gucci, which “hacked” Balenciaga last season, is now launching an e-commerce site featuring refurbished vintage Gucci products and capsule collections from young designers. The hatter Borsalino collaborates with the French brand Ami Paris and the equestrian-inspired brand Acheval.

If the fashion industry is going to change, now is the time, insiders say, even if the temptation to revert to old ways is great.

Highlights of the fourth day of the Milan parades on Saturday for next spring and summer:

GUCCI VOTE

Gucci launched an e-commerce site on Saturday featuring refurbished vintage Gucci pieces as well as capsule collections from young designers chosen by Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele.

Michele said the project grew out of his long-standing obsession with the fashion collection, including Gucci items even before joining the brand.

“Yes, I do this job to tell stories. But I also do it because I really like objects, ”he told reporters in Milan.

Young designers featured included London-based Priya Ahluwalia. Nigerian and Indian in origin, Ahluwalia’s recycled collections have already found a large following ranging from sports figures like Lewis Hamilton to middle-aged hipsters.

“Completely out of the blue, I received a message from Gucci. I thought it was advertising or spam, ”Ahluwalia said. “When I realized it was real, I was extremely happy.”

Michele said the brand has an extensive network of vintage Gucci sources, which it uses to reconstruct its archives. The launch includes a white Jackie bag meticulously maintained by its previous owner that he wanted to keep to himself.

Then, laughing, he said, “Who knows, maybe I’ll log on tonight and buy it myself!”

Gucci strayed from the Milan Fashion Week calendar, finding its own rhythms. Her next show will be on November 3 in Los Angeles, coinciding with the 10th LACMA Art – Film Gala, which Gucci is sponsoring.

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DOLCE & GABBANA LIGHTS UP FASHION WEEK

Dolce & Gabbana wanted to shed some light on glamor with their latest collection – and they did. Their dazzling gazes lit up a searchlight that could easily be seen from orbit.

The silhouette was decidedly sexy, built around corsets, mini-dresses and sheer lingerie, fundamental elements of the brand’s creative language.

This season, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have gone all out with light-reflecting embellishments, covering clothes with rhinestones, adding pearls and indulging in metallic accents and fringes. The models walked down a mirrored runway under traveling spotlights.

Jackets densely adorned with jewels contrasting with narrow camouflage cargo pants or distressed jeans. Jackets in one series had sculpted sleeves straight out of the fashion show. The pants were low waisted, leaving room for the studded lingerie to look through.

The designers said the collection was a “reinterpretation of the aesthetic of the 2000s”. They paid tribute to Jennifer Lopez with a pair of J-Lo T-shirts.

Calmer moments were reserved for on-trend little black dresses with lace accents and open fronts revealing almost sheer corsets, and even even smaller black jumpsuits.

The shoes were stiletto heeled sandals with laces, knee high boots and mid-calf boots, which helped the quick final a bit as the models slowed down to descend the stairs. The boots were in satin, denim, camouflage and crocodile.

Each Dolce Box handbag had a unique design.

Although in Milan for the show, the creators virtually appeared on a screen for their traditional post-show bow.

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ARTHUR ARBESSER LOST AND FOUND

With the world almost at a standstill, Arthur Arbesser’s team kicked off their creativity by recycling shipping boxes into cardboard flowers and crocheting fancy hats.

The title of the collection “Lost and Found” concretely refers to inspirations found in a family attic that spark happy memories, but it can also mean things lost and found during the pandemic, such as the joy of doing things in homes. quiet moments.

“I realized that it’s so important to do something with your hands because you get some kind of satisfaction, and we need satisfaction,” Arbesser said.

In the wake of the pandemic, the Milan-based Austrian designer happily ditched the runway for more personal presentations, transforming a storefront in Milan’s luxury shopping district into a creative studio adorned with a bespoke mural and displaying a new line of tablecloths with its latest collection.

The details of the mural became a decoration on a dress pocket. The long, romantic silhouettes contrast with the crop tops. A black and white checkered mini dress was paired with a square print shirt, while a short tapestry skirt had a youthful appeal. This season’s prints include naïve designs, colorful checkerboard prints with a pixel effect, alongside gingham, retro checks and stripes.

“The most important thing to keep going,” said Arbesser. “We are happy because we believe that our own well-being and that of your team and the people around you is so important. “

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BORSALINO TRAVEL LOG

Nothing like a stop in the event of a pandemic to rethink a business.

164-year-old Italian hat maker Borsalino took the time to focus on new collaborations, expanding the brand to leather goods and scarves through licensing deals, relaunching its digital presence, optimizing production and eliminating faults in machinery that might otherwise be unused.

“It was a great break. We made decisions that weren’t easy to take before, ”said Philippe Camperio, the Haeres Equita manager behind Borsalino’s relaunch.

To reach new audiences and expand distribution, Borsalino collaborated with the Parisian brand Ami on a simple bell with a wavy edge and with Acheval on a raffia capsule collection with ribbons in the silhouettes of horses. The website now includes tutorials on how to cut and wear hats. And Borsalino is working with young designers from the Marangoni Fashion Institute to integrate hats into their stylistic language.

The Spring / Summer 2022 collection launched this week is a journey through Japan, Italy and South America. Dark denim baseball caps and bobs are personalized with charms or Geisha prints for a trendy Tokyo look. A hand-crocheted raffia hat represents Sicilian craftsmanship. And Ecuadorian influences shine through on the Panama hats with distinctive ribbons.

Each brand has a different response to how the pandemic has changed or challenged them.

“For us, it’s about embracing today’s values, being socially responsible, which includes sustainability and the circular economy, and diversity to attract everyone,” said the director creative Giacomo Santucci.

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FERRAGAMO’S SUMMER TALE

The Ferragamo woman for next summer is understated in an easy-to-wear silhouette with sexy moments.

Smocked dresses have a deep V and open backs, while more fitted wrap dresses feature suggestive slits. The pants were loose-fitting harem pants with wrapped details, associated, for example, with a crossover top.

“I wanted the collection to be feminine and sensual,” said design director Guillaume Meilland.

Men’s clothing included knit jumpsuits, low-rise pants with braided sashes, and bare-legged shorts under a coat jacket.

For women, the shoes have relaunched the Vara and Varina ballet flats in new materials including rattan, and an open toe sandal for him.

Brooke Shields, accompanied by her daughter Grier Hency, had a front row seat, along with American actors Ashley Benson, Madelyn Cline, Ashton Sanders and Ross Butler.

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