Gucci to Go Seasonless, Will Only Show Twice a Year

[Benn98]

Many more will follow, I'm sure!

 

[Benn98]

"I will abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities and shows to regain a new cadence, closer to my expressive call," writes Alessandro Michele on Gucci's Instagram. "We will meet just twice a year."

By Luisa Zargani on May 24, 2020


MILAN — Alessandro Michele couldn’t wait.

While Gucci’s creative director scheduled a teleconference with press on Monday, Michele posted a teaser on the brand’s Instagram account that is sure to reverberate in the industry.

Tearing a page out of his diary written on May 3, under the moniker “The Sacred Power of Producing Reverberations,” the designer writes: “I will abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities and shows to regain a new cadence, closer to my expressive call. We will meet just twice a year, to share the chapters of a new story. Irregular, joyful and absolutely free chapters, which will be written blending rules and genres, feeding on new spaces, linguistic codes and communication platforms.”

The post is one of 18 that refer to six letters spanning from March 29 to May 16, presumably written during Michele’s own lockdown.

The coronavirus pandemic has been shaking the industry in more ways than one, as the lockdown in countries around the world has halted production, forced store closures, canceled resort shows and trade events and pushed companies to revisit deliveries. Designers have been reconsidering calendars, show formats and whether there is just too much product out there, as going digital is necessarily a priority for most at the moment — at least until the health emergency effects are behind us.

As reported, Dries Van Noten has spearheaded a petition for a more sensible and sustainable fashion calendar as signatories are hoping to seize on circumstances created by the coronavirus pandemic — later deliveries for fall collections due to factory shutdowns in Europe — and make that the new normal. The forum proposes that men’s and women’s fall collections should be merchandised in stores from August to January, with markdowns in January, and spring collections displayed from February to July, with markdowns in July.

Giorgio Armani, Saks Fifth Avenue and Philadelphia retailer Boyds have also been urging a slowdown in the pace of fashion, with deliveries better timed to consumer needs and discounts only at the end of seasons.

Brands and designers have been gradually revealing how they plan to show their collections.

Examples include Saint Laurent, which has decided to drop out of Paris Fashion Week and set its own pace for showing collections for the duration of the year, as the brand pivots to adapt to the coronavirus crisis.

Shortly after the Camera della Moda revealed the launch of a new Milan Digital Fashion Week to be held in July, Armani said his namesake and Emporio Armani men’s and women’s shows will be presented in September here in a format to be defined. He also said the Armani Privé show will be postponed to January 2021 and will be held in Milan and not in Paris.

Ermenegildo Zegna’s artistic director Alessandro Sartori said he will experiment with a “phygital” show in July. As reported, Italy’s Camera Nazionale della Moda said that the spring 2021 men’s shows and presentations slated for June 19 to 23 will run in September during Milan Women’s Fashion Week, which is expected to start on Sept. 22 and end on Sept. 28.

WWD

 

[Lola701]

Great. If the cash-cow of the group does it, everybody will follow.
Now, there’s a need for more organization because showing « when you want » is not really fair to others when you are Gucci.
But they are already building the foundation of a new calendar.

Let’s hope that Michele has also used this time to reflect on his aesthetic...

 

[Nymphaea]

I wouldn't attach much value to what Alessandro Michele is saying, because he seems to be on the way down, his popularity is waning.
First see than believe.

 

[Benn98]

Let’s hope that Michele has also used this time to reflect on his aesthetic...

Cosign! So far the scope of his vocabulary has been what we've been seeing at Gucci for the past 5 years! Of course I'm impressed that they've kept the machine running for so long because I've always believed only sex can be profitable for such a long time, but it's really time for him to move on now.

And though I applaud the choice, I refuse to believe they've made it by the 3rd of May! It's also interesting to see how history is repeating itself. Because Michele seems to be wielding as much control as TF, did which I'm sure is mostly down to Bizzarri. But..... we all know how that played out.

 

[Srdjan]

Reminds me of the fable about the fox and the grapes.

 

[GivenchyHomme]

Isn't everything he does now season-less? I mean really, It's just one big show continuing season after season. Once clown style goes out of fashion he'll be out of the job.

 

[dsamg]

I totally understand 2 times a year instead of 4 but it logistically really just makes a lot more sense for everyone to show at one time. I think this is the end of models making money!

 

[GERGIN]

I totally understand 2 times a year instead of 4 but it logistically really just makes a lot more sense for everyone to show at one time. I think this is the end of models making money!

Or at least bad models anyways, casting directors need to actually cast better for shows (looking at you Gucci + Balenciaga)

 

[jeanclaude]

It´s a great step for improvement of this nonsensical industry.

However, he could present any of his old collections as a new one. We all know no one is going to notice it; and it would be more eco-friendly (they would have a new chance to get rid of all the stock of unsold clothes).

 

[Kimihiro]

Unless Michele changes his visual vocabulary it is enough for him to show twice a year. It’s not a drastic makeover per season anyway. Several big brands seem to follow a visual narrative either way that lasts more than a year with just little tweaks. Except for Alessandro there’s Celine and whatever MGC is doing at Dior that don’t need many shows anyway with the repetitive bore they’re churning out. It’s definitely excessive. I hope designers and corporations will make this an opportunity to be more creative.

I’m more concerned with how will this affect the modeling industry.

 

[Lola701]

I totally understand 2 times a year instead of 4 but it logistically really just makes a lot more sense for everyone to show at one time. I think this is the end of models making money!

Why would it be the end of models making money? There are enough brands for models to work and it’s not like Gucci is working with well known models.

If collections sits longer in the stores, maybe there will be a new economy for the campaigns. That’s maybe an opportunity to have 2 campaigns for a season, using different stylists to challenge and change the perception of a collection...

But Michele’s shows for like 3 years, have felt like an endless parade of stuff. And let’s be honest, Michele has his fair amount of responsibility in the state of fashion: Endless collections with an insane layering of products on 1 model. It was just too much.

 

[Benn98]

That’s maybe an opportunity to have 2 campaigns for a season, using different stylists to challenge and change the perception of a collection...

The likes of Zara, Mango etc are already doing that and I'm sure they're seeing results. They have the main campaign and a variety of 'story' edits throughout the season not really to expand on the collection, but to push their basic/essential pieces through fresh perspectives. Even smaller brands can use the same approach and it doesn't have to be costly.

Re the models, that's a fair point because I imagine it may mean fewer jobs to compete for? But sadly it won't weed out the bad models. We've seen over these past few years with Kendall, Gigi etc, some models will rise to heights if they're backed by the right people. Whether they're good at their job is not a decisive factor.
Maybe the Fashion Weeks should jump on this conversation with brands right now to make sure everyone falls in line instead of allowing everyone to choose when they want to show? And none of that 'I don't want to show in NY, I want to show in LA right before the Oscars to make it easy for my celebrity friends to attend' nonsense.
You're right about Gucci's part in the state of fashion. I've found it comical that NYFW/BFC as well demonised 'the unforgiving pace' of fashion when they're the ones who are partly responsible for it. LOL. And while they're at it, tell magazines to stop pushing coats and jumpers in June/July.

There will probably an end to the jet setting locations (read: flexing) as well but hopefully it will mean the return of creative set designs? But I do wonder what will happen with the design teams, who in some cases are responsible for pre-fall/cruise/capsule collections.

 

[RedSmokeRise]

I'm actually very excited about this IF only he can challenge himself each collection to develop a new narrative or proposition. If it's just 200+ looks of the same we've been seeing for the past 5 years then it's still the same no?

 

[Lola701]

The likes of Zara, Mango etc are already doing that and I'm sure they're seeing results. They have the main campaign and a variety of 'story' edits throughout the season not really to expand on the collection, but to push their basic/essential pieces through fresh perspectives. Even smaller brands can use the same approach and it doesn't have to be costly.

Re the models, that's a fair point because I imagine it may mean fewer jobs to compete for? But sadly it won't weed out the bad models. We've seen over these past few years with Kendall, Gigi etc, some models will rise to heights if they're backed by the right people. Whether they're good at their job is not a decisive factor.
Maybe the Fashion Weeks should jump on this conversation with brands right now to make sure everyone falls in line instead of allowing everyone to choose when they want to show? And none of that 'I don't want to show in NY, I want to show in LA right before the Oscars to make it easy for my celebrity friends to attend' nonsense.
You're right about Gucci's part in the state of fashion. I've found it comical that NYFW/BFC as well demonised 'the unforgiving pace' of fashion when they're the ones who are partly responsible for it. LOL. And while they're at it, tell magazines to stop pushing coats and jumpers in June/July.

There will probably an end to the jet setting locations (read: flexing) as well but hopefully it will mean the return of creative set designs? But I do wonder what will happen with the design teams, who in some cases are responsible for pre-fall/cruise/capsule collections.

You know I was talking to a PR friend and she told me that as much as the Hadid and stuff are great in terms of exposure (thanks to them, brands have a secured worldwide coverage in media outlets for free), the « influencers » part of their job is actually the most disappointing. And she used the Kendall example to illustrate that: she is the global ambassador of Longchamp but in her IG, she does not make Longchamp a part of her lifestyle. She flexes with boxes of Vuitton instead of doing the same for Longchamp... They are models and celebrities and doesn’t necessarly deals with what brands actually expects from them when they invests in them...

So, I think models will still have a voice. But yes, the profile of an Adut or Vittoria will be the same still. And models will come and go as usual.

What I wish is actually a return to OG campaigns...You know, like Daria being the face of Chanel for 2 years. Going back to that will maybe redefine the word diversity and it might be challenging in some markets (For black girls for example in Asia) but I think having multi campaigns can work with that.


Yes, exactly. Things have to be more about a collective than individuals now. I understand that showing during the Oscars is great for the exposure but really, It’s a bit pointless (considering that the biggest names are tied to contracts). When you are Tom Ford, you can show on the calendar and everybody will come...

But Tom was on something with his private presentations...
You know what, I don’t know if big shows will remain or if quality will now matter. I loved big shows when it was done by Karl, John, Lee or Marc. The extravaganza made perfect sense for them...The problem is that it became the norm for people who don’t have that in them (look at Nicolas’s shows for Vuitton...A pure waste of money). So set-design to create an experience:Yes! But that experience must make sense...In Alessandro’s case, it was pointless and made his clothes even less modern.

What I don’t want in 100 looks on the runway. Yes, it worked in Chanel shows...But the last collection Hedi presented was an endless bore.

While I think 2 collections will be presented in shows, I don’t think brands will only produce two collections. I don’t know if you remember the capsule Nicolas did at Balenciaga or the Edition 24 Stefano did at YSL...They were collections that supported the runway collection. They were commercial but not in a cash-cow kind of way.

That’s maybe something that brands can engage to in the future.

 

[Benn98]

What I don’t want in 100 looks on the runway. Yes, it worked in Chanel shows...But the last collection Hedi presented was an endless bore.

Don't forget to add your bestie, Olivier Rousteing to that list. LOL.

 

[YohjiAddict]

Be it 2 or 6 shows a year I already know I won't like anything in them and I'll find it to be just as infantilizing and cheap as ever...My only concern is: When is Theyskens debuting at Azzaro?

 

[SophiaVB]

If you're showing 2 times a year, presumably it's going to be spring/fall anyways so there will still be seasons??? All for having lessened show schedule tho.

 

[dsamg]

Why would it be the end of models making money? There are enough brands for models to work and it’s not like Gucci is working with well known models.

If collections sits longer in the stores, maybe there will be a new economy for the campaigns. That’s maybe an opportunity to have 2 campaigns for a season, using different stylists to challenge and change the perception of a collection...

But Michele’s shows for like 3 years, have felt like an endless parade of stuff. And let’s be honest, Michele has his fair amount of responsibility in the state of fashion: Endless collections with an insane layering of products on 1 model. It was just too much.

True, I meant more so because of all the other designers attached to this project. I think the general show season is probably coming to an end.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

i hope this is for real and the industry does a serious overhaul. it's due. it's necessary in this day and age. two collections. more in tune with reality.