All images: Daniel Shea
The professional technicality of The North Face meets the enchanted aesthetic of Gucci, resulting in a partnership where performance equals glamour. For this fairytale, creative director Alessandro Michele brought us on a magical rock-climbing journey into the Alps with a group of joyful and perfectly equipped nymphs. The purity of the serene natural world is juxtaposed with a motley crew of explorers looking as though they’ve been transported from the 70’s. Captured under dazzling light and a slight haze, the looks merge into the landscape, like in Ovidio’s ‘Metamorphosis’ or Gabriele D’Annunzio’s ‘La pioggia nel pineto’. Similar to moments where the muse’s teeth become unripe almonds, her heart a whole peach, and her eyes a spring of water, the union of nature and garment is a primary point of celebration for this collaboration: with a sustainable focus shown in the jumpsuit and backpack which contain ECONYL—a nylon fabric sourced from regenerated materials. If this collaborative partnership is an indicator of anything, it is that the closer we look into nature, the greater luxuries there are to be found.
Watch the The North Face x Gucci documentary by Sean Vegezzi, shot in the Alps, Rome, Sierra and New York here. You can also discover more looks from the collection in the gallery below:
