Gucci women’s AW16 presentation, image courtesy of Gucci press office
Yesterday Gucci announced that they will be integrating their men’s and women’s shows, presenting both collections for each season simultaneously. The first combined show will be held in November 2017 in the brand’s headquarters in Milan. “It seems only natural to me to present my men’s and women’s collections together. It’s the way I see the world today,” said Alessandro Michele. “It will not necessarily be an easy path and will certainly present some challenges, but I believe it will give me the chance to move towards a different kind of approach to my story telling.”
Today’s Gucci embraces gender-neutrality like no other brand. Michele’s collections evolving around the 1970s androgyny present very similar offerings for men and women – silk shirts embellished with voluptuous bow-ties, ankle-length patterned coats, light scarves. Many items even seem interchangeable, size being the only noticeable difference. The reformed Gucci creates fashion for a young, colourful crowd – the very image they promote in their advertising films and will now be promoting on their runways. In fact, Michele has been moving towards synchronising the menswear and womenswear shows by mixing collections on the runway for the two past seasons already.
‘It seems only natural to me to present my men’s and women’s collections together. It’s the way I see the world today’
Gucci SS16
The integrated shows are also a wise marketing initiative
The integrated shows are not only a “natural” move in terms of Gucci’s story-telling, but also a wise marketing initiative. A combined show presents a fuller and a more cohesive brand image, attracting both menswear and womenswear editors and buyers. Exactly this can be a boon for a fashion brand, since it significantly increases the potential sales and media coverage. A combined show is also a perfect opportunity to broaden the clientele for both lines, since womenswear shows are usually attended by exclusive customers, while menswear attracts a younger audience.
Female models have also been spotted on the runways of Burberry, Prada, Saint-Laurent and Givenchy menswear shows. Many brands are clearly willing to use the advantages of the integrated shows but following Gucci’s example can also be tricky – it means cutting the number of shows per season, and it can hardly be an option for brands with different creative directors for each lines. One thing is certain: this is another move that could “fix” a fashion industry in tatters.