Is Gucci the new Prada?

Prada’s show was once the most awaited moment in the Milanese fashion calendar – and probably of the entire show season – but today this role seems to waver.

Miuccia Prada’s avant-garde and conceptual style – which has represented for years the privileged object of in-depth analysis by the international press – has now to deal with an equally attractive and intellectual male figure: Alessandro Michele. 

This is certainly not a competition: the two brands represent two cornerstones of the industry, both at Italian and international level, but the appointment of Gucci’s new creative director in January last year has shifted ground, making the fashion show of the Florentine brand a crucial moment – exactly like the shows of Prada in Milan and Chanel in Paris.

The question arises spontaneously: has the new Gucci exceeded Prada’s established reputation? Has the army of young geek-chic headed by Alessandro Michele taken over the austere, encrypted fashion by Mrs. Miuccia? Hard to tell with certainty. However, social networks, street style reports and market researches seem to lean towards this direction.

As suggested by nowfashion.com in a recent article – ironically titled Keeping up with the BOYS – Alessandro Michele is part of an all-male trio who has shaken the Milan’s fashion calendar, starting a creative rejuvenation that was as coveted as necessary.

Next to him we find Massimo Giorgetti – MSGM founder and Emilio Pucci creative director since May 2015 – and Peter Dundas, recently returned at Roberto Cavalli reins after a seven year period at the helm of Pucci.

Thanks to these three brilliant minds the shows of these brands are now more awaited than ever, and the capital of Italian fashion has become again synonymous with freshness and excitement.

During the week which has just ended, Dundas presented a collection with strong ‘70s references, putting on the catwalk modern Jim Morrisons and sexy Janis Joplins. For the second line of the brand instead, he recreated a Factory inspired by the New York one of Andy Warhol, staged a rock concert, enabled guests to get their passport photos in black and white and acted as a bartender, making cocktails for his invites. Giorgetti made headlines for the counter-current decision to ban social networks from his show for MSGM, providing insiders an interesting food for thought about the dominant role of social media within the industry. Michele made us dream, again: he led a river of fashion editors to a remote corner of the city to show – more than an hour late – a sophisticated and dreamlike collection, full of artistic references and original details.

The Milan’s fashion landscape is therefore evolving, as well as the city itself. Expo, staged in Milan last year, has given the city a series of improvements, which obviously influenced also the creative spirit of the metropolis. Although Expo has now ended, the ferment remains. The talent of these designers, led by Michele, has injected new creative blood to Milan, able to dim also a name like Prada.

Is Milan finally ready to open its doors to change?