Achille Lauro shows outrageous Gucci outfit at Sanremo 2020
Something in between the Lady of Sorrows, St. Francis and Julie Taymor
February 5th, 2020
Achille Lauro and Alessandro Michele have been collaborating since Gucci's Pre-Fall 2020 campaign. And as part of Gucci's family, it was almost obvious that Michele would be the creator of the outfit worn by the singer on the San Remo stage: a black velvet hood embroidered with gold, under which Lauro was dressed in a flesh-colored sequin body suit that, according to Lyst's analysis, made the word "body suit" the most researched for in Italy yesterday night.
Needless to say, it was the least boring outfit of the evening, whose appearance was artfully accompanied by a series of Instagram posts on the singer's page that provided an explanation of the references behind the costume.
The first and self-declared reference is the one at St. Francis. If the gesture of stripping himself of the black cloak revealing himself to be semi-naked recalls the episode of the renunciation of earthly goods from the saint's life, the frame in the official photos of the outfit posted on Instagram was a more precise reference to the frescoes of the Stories of Saint Francis by Giotto, which have a square shape and are surrounded by a thin frame. The black hood, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the appearance of the Mater Dolorosa, or Lady of Sorrows, which is often represented with rich mourning clothes, often black and embroidered with gold.
Another reference comes to mind, this darker one, to a film from the 90s: Titus by director Julie Taymor. In this post-modern version of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, the typical iconographic apparatus of imperial Rome (a great source of inspiration for Michele) is revisited in a kitsch key by costume designer Milena Canonero. Within the film's cast, Demetrio's character, played by Matthew Rhys, wears a pair of high-waisted trousers with suspenders that, along with his platinum hair, are reminiscent of Lauro's outfit.
For each evening of the festival, Lauro will propose a new costume, although it will be difficult to overcome the surprise of the opening night. Stay connected to nss magazine for all updates.