Frida Giannini - Designer

[Lola701]

For the Hedi rumors, Gucci was exactly what YSL is today. The critics and the collections were kinda mediocre but it sold well.
Frida's first good reviews were for her SS2010 collection.

Bridget Foley made a point. At Gucci they tried to ignore the Tom Ford years but it was a wrong move. Before Tom Ford, Gucci made clothes...Tom Ford gave the vision, the identity & the fashion. She compared Gucci to Prada and she is right, it's totally the same equation.
At YSL, even if they tried to ignore the Tom Ford, Alber & Stefano years, it was all about Yves!

Seriously, seeing the way Stefano left YSL, i don't think he is going to work for Kering again. Don't forget that Stefano, like Frida or Christopher Bailey and others used to work with Tom Ford at Gucci & YSL. They were used to a standard regarding the creative control of the brand.
When Stefano tried to make more personal collections at YSL, even with a huge success, he was outed.

Even if i want an Italian designer doing Gucci, i think they will go for Altuzarra. I'm afraid because i still remember that he is the only designer ever who copied a whole collection. That collection was the Gucci FW 2003.

 

[dior_couture1245]

Well....I can't say I'm holding my breath for any innovative or smart choice here. Fashion is simply not what is used to be and all decisions made within the last 5 years all feel incredibly short-sighted and wimpy.

I think the only designer who could actually do something interesting with the house would be Haider Ackermann. He's the only one who has a strong enough aesthetic of his own which could add another chapter to the Gucci story as opposed to re-iterations of chapters before. I could see him adapting very well to the house and can imagine him injecting a lot of luxe nonchalance to all product categories. I think he'd be smart enough and capable enough not to do the whole drapey, overly layered look that is his mainline at the house of Gucci. A designer like Olivier Theyskens, who is even more talented in all actuality, is not suited to a house like Gucci. It just doesn't match. He'd be far better at a French Couture house...there's nothing Italian about his aesthetic.

However...I highly doubt that's who they'll pick. If it truly is Hedi, and he does both Saint Laurent and Gucci - it will be such a travesty. If it's Altuzarra - that will be even more devastating.

 

[bbofbalenciaga]

Well....I can't say I'm holding my breath for any innovative or smart choice here. Fashion is simply not what is used to be and all decisions made within the last 5 years all feel incredibly short-sighted and wimpy.

I think the only designer who could actually do something interesting with the house would be Haider Ackermann. He's the only one who has a strong enough aesthetic of his own which could add another chapter to the Gucci story as opposed to re-iterations of chapters before. I could see him adapting very well to the house and can imagine him injecting a lot of luxe nonchalance to all product categories. I think he'd be smart enough and capable enough not to do the whole drapey, overly layered look that is his mainline at the house of Gucci. A designer like Olivier Theyskens, who is even more talented in all actuality, is not suited to a house like Gucci. It just doesn't match. He'd be far better at a French Couture house...there's nothing Italian about his aesthetic.

.

Haider hasnt been able to keep the interest and the buzz around his brand for more than 3 seasons....doesnt matter if you like it or not, if he is good or not, the true is that nobody cares about him anymore. The expectation for him designing at gucci wouldnt last long.

For me the best option is riccardo taking the gucci job and leaving Givenchy to Olivier ( I think Anna Wintour adviced thyeskiens not to take de la renta's creative direction because she knew something better was coming )

 

[Luxx]

YSL’s Hedi Slimane, probably the most fascinating designer working today

I feel like I've just taken a trip backwards through time. I doubt that statement holds true today.

I like the idea of Tisci heading to Gucci with Theyskens stepping in at Givenchy. That represents a win/win.

 

[dior_couture1245]

Haider hasnt been able to keep the interest and the buzz around his brand for more than 3 seasons....doesnt matter if you like it or not, if he is good or not, the true is that nobody cares about him anymore. The expectation for him designing at gucci wouldnt last long.

For me the best option is riccardo taking the gucci job and leaving Givenchy to Olivier ( I think Anna Wintour adviced thyeskiens not to take de la renta's creative direction because she knew something better was coming )

While I would agree that Haider has seemed to have fallen off the radar in recent seasons, I think he's the kind of designer that really would flourish so much more at a house with codes, with archives and with the platform to advertise, merchandize and on-the-whole really push for a brand-identity. Much more than what he is capable of doing at his own label.

Again, while someone like Theyskens is and always has been immensely talented, I think the work he did at Rochas and Nina Ricci (ESPECIALLY Rochas) was so much more iconic and influential than what he created at his own line - and his own line was gorgeous, inventive and important, no doubt. But sometimes the combination of the right house and the right designer is even stronger than a designer flying solo.

I think Haider is one of those designers. I think what suits him for this kind of job is his holistic vision and "world." Very few designers, especially designers working today, have a strong enough, unique enough and personal enough point-of-view that can unite all product categories, all marketing, all brand ambassadors and all other corners of the brand together and make it something recognizable and desirable.

 

[Chiara 92]

I like the idea of Tisci heading to Gucci with Theyskens stepping in at Givenchy. That represents a win/win.

I wouldn't mind that at all.

 

[GIVENCHYlover]

In 2013 (Jan or Feb) Givenchy has signed Riccardo Tisci for another three years.


However, he's the best option :cool2:

 

[Creative]

I feel like I've just taken a trip backwards through time. I doubt that statement holds true today.

I think the writer was being sarcastic.

Kering has an interesting, diverse stable of designers at its major houses. In addition to Maier: Stella McCartney, a trailblazer in ethical fashion with a grounded real-woman aesthetic. McQueen’s Sarah Burton, a rare artistic breed and de-facto couturier. Balenciaga’s Alexander Wang, a bold young talent unafraid to fuse street and couture concepts. YSL’s Hedi Slimane, probably the most fascinating designer working today. The shows look to me like the emperor’s new(contemporary) clothes. But the numbers say that a lot of women are buying in.

And no one in this world thinks Stella, Wang, Sarah or Hedi are interesting designers. Right?

Haider hasnt been able to keep the interest and the buzz around his brand for more than 3 seasons....doesnt matter if you like it or not, if he is good or not, the true is that nobody cares about him anymore. The expectation for him designing at gucci wouldnt last long.

Totally agree. I mean, he has done a couple of 'good' shows, but he's irrelevant and stuck. No one cares about him. Plus, I think we have already seen the best he can do.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

ugh, stop it with Theyskens. he's dreaming too big, a designer like him needs strict guidelines to which he must adhere to. his Nina Ricci days were out of this world gorgeous, but that stuff doesn't sell, nor can it be worn by regular people (that includes celebs who'd wear it on the red carpet)

his work at Theory was good cause they had guidelines. he was there to inject his talent, vision and eye for detail into what would else be boring office safe clothes. he's like that accent that looks good in small doses, but unbearable when full on.

 

[gossiping]

i feel the opposite to everyone here.. i am not a haider fan at all , hedi would be really cool i love what he is doing these days

 

[Crying Diamonds]

This is just part of a very lengthy article here

Stella McCartney, a trailblazer in ethical fashion with a grounded real-woman aesthetic. McQueen’s Sarah Burton, a rare artistic breed and de-facto couturier. Balenciaga’s Alexander Wang, a bold young talent unafraid to fuse street and couture concepts. YSL’s Hedi Slimane, probably the most fascinating designer working today.

wwd

That's one great list of the most uninspiring names in fashion right now.

At least one of the others, Giannini, is gone from Gucci. Her collections have always been repetitive, commercial and bordering on hideous.

I swear, if they replace her with another visionless bore, I'm quitting.

 

[MyNameIs]

For people excited for Tisci at Gucci, do you realize he comes with the Kanyes, Kims, and all the other attention whores of this world? Say what you will about Frida, but she kept Gucci clean of the undesirables. From the celebrity clients to campaigns and runways casts, there was always an aura of exclusivity and class. Tisci would destroy it all.

 

[Lola701]

That's one great list of the most uninspiring names in fashion right now.

At least one of the others, Giannini, is gone from Gucci. Her collections have always been repetitive, commercial and bordering on hideous.

I swear, if they replace her with another visionless bore, I'm quitting.

I love Stella, she seems to be the only one in that group with a vision and a certain integrity. AND, she must be the only who really sells clothes.
Weird to see that she is the only one left from the original Gucci Group. Everybody is gone...

 

[GivenchyHomme]

We need some fresh talent and by fresh I mean someone we've never heard of. I'm sick and tired of all the mediocre J.W. Anderson's and Altuzarra's out there. Nicholas Ghesquiere and even Frida were both unknown when they got their starts. Someone in house would be better than some of the mentioned candidates.

 

[eugenius]

Good Lord....reading this thread is about as painful as reading the Terms & Conditions on a new iPhone update.

Anyways, the way I see it, Gucci is nothing more than a glorified accessories company...leather goods and uncomfortable footwear. Sure, they have clothes, but who really wears it, besides celebrities on the red carpet? And when you consider that the bread & butter of damn near every big designer label these days is glorified accessories, it's hard for me to get excited over the clothes...much less who's actually going to be designing it.

 

[Deleted member 7575]

Good Lord....reading this thread is about as painful as reading the Terms & Conditions on a new iPhone update.

Anyways, the way I see it, Gucci is nothing more than a glorified accessories company...leather goods and uncomfortable footwear. Sure, they have clothes, but who really wears it, besides celebrities on the red carpet? And when you consider that the bread & butter of damn near every big designer label these days is glorified accessories, it's hard for me to get excited over the clothes...much less who's actually going to be designing it.

Yeah, I mean that's pretty much all the luxury brands now save for a handful.

The name of the game is not to find a designer who will rejuvenate the RTW business but rather raise the profile of the brand (get it shot, talked about and worn by all the right people) all the while steer the various products (bags, shoes, fragrance, etc) in the right commercial direction under a unified voice.

No one's really buying the collections Ghesquiere is doing for Vuitton yet their presence adds cache to the overall brand. Vuitton was starting to go adrift and now it stands for something unique and special (or at least that's the idea).

In Gucci's case the company has no identity, no relevant signature, and with the market so overloaded it's gotten lost amongst all the new names. I think Tisci would have been ideal but apparently Gucci has pursued that and it's a dead end. Not really sure who can do this job but I bet you there's an unknown toiling away somewhere, perhaps even at Givenchy or Celine or who knows where, someone who is due for his or her time in the spotlight.

 

[dizzytacks]

This conversation brought me out of the shadows. I would love to see what Matthieu Blazy would do with Gucci!!!! He has brought incredible attention to MMM and he is a Raf Simons prodigy which lends clout. I think he is a young and incredible designer that could fit, along with the other names like Pilati or Ackermann!

 

[jeremydante]

altuzarra at gucci would be interesting. and could be a good follow up after wang took balenciaga.

 

[Flashbang]

You can always count on veteran fashion director James Scully to share his opinion, and last night we were intrigued with his Facebook update with his reaction to Vanessa Friedman‘s recent New York Times article, “Beware, Designers: What Frida Giannini’s Departure at Gucci Tells Us.” In the piece she writes: “What’s interesting, however, is that in all the who-ing and fro-ing, what hasn’t come up is just how pointedly Ms. Giannini’s departure reflects on current fashion industry wisdom, and the idea that what is needed right now are clothes for real life.” The article went on to document her turbulent history with the brand: “At a certain point it became very hard to identify what Gucci stood for, aesthetically, anyway, aside from bamboo-handled, made-in-Italy leather goods,” Friedman wrote. Now, Scully shares his thoughts on why things didn’t work out for Giannini…

“What does Frida’s departure tell us? What cautionary tale can designers learn from the “Arch of her Career” What arch? Are you now going to say in hindsight she was brilliant? It was better than we thought? A famous fashion designer once said to me that fashion is about desire, it is about a world, and if people can’t believe your world, they won’t buy your clothes. It’s not a famous quote but I’ll give anyone a prize (a Gucci bag?) if they can take a stab at who said it. I would classify designers into two types: The superstar, the designer who lives his or her world and brings you into it, such as Ralph, Calvin, Donna, Oscar, Tom Ford, Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Herrera, YSL, Valentino. Then, there is the shy, reticent creator Miuccia Prada, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Raf Simons, Rei Kawakubo, Jil Sander, Phoebe Philo. So illusive, full of thought that you’re intrigued into their world. What do they all have in common? Vision. They created desire through their clothes and image, and created a world people want to be a part of. Fashion designers, like Hollywood actors, are about the X factor. Beautiful clothes are not enough. It’s the whole world you create around the product that fuels the desire of consumers.

Look at the hottest houses that have all had remakes over the last 5 years: Celine, Valentino, YSL, Dior, Vuitton or people who have created buzz and already have definitive worldwide images like Alexander Wang, JW Anderson, or Tory Burch. In this short amount of time, all of these houses have created desire and a brand awareness. People can’t get enough of it. They have a strategy, they know who they are, and what they want their brands to project. The average consumer knows exactly what these brands represent and that is why they want to have them in their closets. Frida’s Gucci collections were palate cleansing at best. They weren’t bad clothes, they were perfectly nice, not interesting, like her, no intrigue, nothing fascinating.

Most people I know outside the business in the real world still associate Gucci with Tom Ford. She has made no impression, in their minds they are still holding on to the image he created. I know not one person that was dying to have a piece of it since she took over. You can still go into any city in the world and the above designers’ stores are full of shoppers. If I had a nickel for every editor that complained they had to shoot Gucci for advertising $$$, I’d be on my own island writing this now. She was not a designer. It was a nice effort but it was too big a job for someone without a vision to move it forward. She was missing the thing that all the other successful rebrandings paired with the right designer have. It’s not her fault she did not have it. She never created a moment. It’s like Sienna Miller: Hollywood will keep trying, but if you don’t draw people into a theater, eventually you won’t make movies. So, the lesson I take away is hire someone who can give people the dream and they will return…”

fashionweekdaily

 

[Creative]

^While I agree with almost everything he said, there's one thing that it's true: she knew her market. She sold a lot. In fact, around 2008 there were maaany articles reporting that sales at Gucci were higher than ever, and that she had doubled Tom's numbers.

The problem is not that she wasn't a designer. The problem is that fashion changes so fast (it is not a problem either, it's its nature). In a world where designers last one or two seasons, she was at the helm of Gucci for one decade, more or less like Tom was. That's a lot.

Galliano was not dismissed (I think) because he said what he said. It was because he was stuck. No one cared about Dior. Marc was stuck at Vuitton also. Both houses needed a change. And that's it. Same at Balenciaga, YSL... people want buzz.

No many designers have been relevant for more than a decade. It's just their time. One decade. Hedi or Raf won't even last that much because everything goes faster than ever.


Anyway, it never ceases to amaze me how different everything is now. Six years ago I would have never guessed the fashion world would be like this. It would have been impossible. It has never been this tumultuous.