Credit: Vogue.com
While Gucci is largely known for its nineties image of overt sexiness (courtesy of Tom Ford and Carine Roitfeld), I rather enjoyed the more romantic turn that Frida Giannini has taken for Fall 2012. Giannini certainly maintains Gucci’s sensual aesthetic but relaxes the silhouette into an easy opulence that flows down the body. The generous use of velvet adds to this dandified air of refined luxury: it appears in flowery embroidery winding its way up tulle, is embossed upon smoking jackets, and rivets in tapestry-like printed jacquards. I love the allusion to Gucci’s equestrian heritage with sturdy riding boots and jodhpur trousers; they add a bit of masculine edge to nymphlike romanticism on display. I am also a big fan of the military-inspired jackets. There is a poeticism to this collection with its finely crafted details and easy sensuality. Gucci delivers decadence and femininity without flaunting its more obvious message. And it loses absolutely nothing by not slapping one in the face with its “sexiness.”
