Expect the unexpected—that’s the general rule of thumb when it comes to Gucci’s presentations, and the notion was heightened once again this season beginning with a voice note Whatsapped to each guest from Alessandro Michele himself in lieu of a physical invite.
Upon entering Gucci Hub, we found ourselves in the hair and makeup station where models were still being primped, and for a moment questioned if we had stumbled through into the backstage area. It became clear, though, once the show began, and the artificial fog dissipated from the stage, that it was all part of the theme behind this collection entitled The Ritual.
Inside a revolving, glass carousel, dressers clothed the models to the sound of a ticking metronome, then each model—most of whom were clad in Victorian dresses of various jewel tones—walked and stood in a circle like live mannequins.
In typical Michele fashion, there were splashes of plaid, a hint of harnesses and dripping crystal headpieces, but this collection was heavy on the Peter Pan collars and ruffles, making it one of his most romantic lineups to date. The show ended with models filing out and the dressers standing in their place, perhaps in celebration of the hands behind the clothes.
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