DifferentMagazine

TIMING IS EVERYTHING
Take the timing into account. The announcement of Michele’s
appointment came at a relatively quiet moment in fashion –
before the Hedi Slimane departure rumors started, before Raf
Simons took the industry by surprise when he announced that he
was leaving Christian Dior, and before Alber Elbaz was abruptly
shown the door at Lanvin. As we have come to see first hand, over
the past several years, in particular, this game of musical chairs
proves immensely entertaining for fashion fans. With the creative
directors of big houses being thrust into the spotlight – becoming
celebrities of sorts – the level of interest amongst those on the
periphery has risen.
So, the natural cycle of musical chairs (which was been sped up
enormously over the past several years) becomes something of a
must-watch, must-witness process from the initial appointment
speculation rumors, to the confirmation, to the subsequent debut
and the aftermath, the latter of which tends to be polarizing. For
instance, as Vanessa Friedman recently wrote of Slimane’s YSL:
“Remember the initial shock! horror! at his grunge girls on the
runway in Season 2?” As such, creative director debuts – which
appear to be coming with increased frequency – are something of
an interactive experience, complete with nail-biting anticipation.
And the Michele for Gucci appointment has been no exception.
Following months of rumors that Gucci’s former creative director,
Frida Giannini, was to be ousted, after years of disappointing
growth for the Italian design house, both Giannini and her real-life
partner and Gucci CEO, Patrizio di Marco, were out. The
fashion press had a field day. The publication of articles entitled,
“Inside the Messy Firing of Gucci’s CEO and Creative Director”
and “Downfall of Gucci’s power couple” ensued. But the drama
did not end there; according to a report by the New York Times,
on the heels of di Marco’s firing, he allegedly sent out a 3,000-
page memo, some of which was made public. There was also the
alleged speech (read: rant) that di Marco delivered to his employees
at the Gucci cafeteria in Florence shortly before his departure.
Such chief-level shake-ups do not just sell magazines or garner
page views, they arguably create a sense of excitement, which, of
course, must be coupled with the fact that such activity also tends
to have a negative effect on value. As Vanessa Friedman noted in
connection with Slimane’s recent departure: “Products themselves
require investment. They are not cheap. Consumers have to
believe they will hold their meaning over time. And the meaning is
created by the designer.” This is undoubtedly true, but in Gucci’s
case it seems to have produced more pros than cons.
An injection of relevance with Giannini’s ouster and new life after
Michele’s appointment put Gucci back on the map in Milan. It
has certainly given fellow Italian brand, Prada, a run for its money
in terms of being one of the most anticipated and talked-about
shows during any given season. And as we have learned, consumers
may just be buying a lot more Gucci than before. The house
has posted growth (Gucci revenue advanced 4.8 percent for the
fourth quarter of 2015, compared with the 1.5 percent growth
expected by analysts, as reported in February), whereas its Prada
continues to struggle in that regard.
TURNING TALK INTO ACTION
Gucci has taken its newfound fame and capitalized on it, using
celebrities as leverage. Christina Binkley, fashion columnist for the
Wall Street Journal, told us recently that Gucci is the celebrity’s
go-to brand at the moment “because it’s the hottest brand around,
their photos go viral when they wear it, and Gucci is brilliant
about working with celebs.”
This proves true as this award season saw Gucci being draped
over the backs of Cate Blanchett at the Spirit Awards; Harry
Styles at the American Music Awards; Nicole Kidman at the SAG
Awards; Brie Larsson, Jared Leto, Lee Byung-Hun and Ryan
Gosling at the Oscars; and, let’s not forget the event bigger than
any red carpet in the U.S.: the Super Bowl, for which Lady Gaga
wore custom Gucci. “It’s just good business on everyone’s part,”
Binkley explains. “Also, particularly with men’s wear, there really
isn’t anything out there to compete with those zany printed suits,
so if you’re Harry Styles, there you are!”
There is also something to be said for making and showing
clothes people actually want to wear – something few houses have
managed to do quite as well (as indicated by their need to revamp
other aspects of their brands, such as the runway schedule and
their deliveries, in an attempt to lure consumers back into stores).
Michele, on the other hand, “has tapped a nerve. If you look
closely, he’s drawing on bits and pieces from many other labels
[and putting them together].” Binkley cites Dries van Noten,
Marco Zannini’s Rochas, Chloé and Saint Laurent as potential
inspiration, “He’s assembling them into a look that is strangely
desirable right now. It’s an intellectual look, and it’s fearless.” This
fearlessness seems perfect not only for gaining attention on the
28 resulting success