Westminster Abbey has been graced by some of the greatest, most powerful figures in British history, but never before has the Gothic church played host to a fashion catwalk. Although the historic building is no stranger to glamorous events, having been the site of a number of royal weddings including that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011, the news that Italian fashion-house Gucci is set to grace the Cloisters to showcase their cruise 2017 collection comes as quite a revelation.
The announcement that creative director Alessandro Michele has chosen the Cloisters at Westminster Abbey to host his show comes after he was honoured at the British Fashion Awards in November, where he was appointed the International Designer Award.
The event, which will take place on 2nd June this year, has been met with a mixed reception. For the Italian fashion house, the news that Westminster have confirmed the fashion show has been described as “magical”, whereas one Reverend Peter Owen-Jones commented that “it’s part of the Disneyfaction of all the traditional sacred spaces in this land”.
Despite only being appointed as Gucci’s creative director last January, Alessandro Michele is making major waves in the fashion industry. Not only has he overhauled Gucci’s brand, replacing the worn out ‘sexy’ image with a far more current ‘vintage chic’ style, his creations have been met with an incredible reception.
From the iconic furry loafers to the never-ending pleats, ruffles, and pussybow blouses, the success of Gucci’s June catwalk at Westminster Abbey comes as yet another remarkable breakthrough for the Italian fashion house. From last year’s New York side-walk debut, to this year’s historic and religious backdrop, it seems that Michele just continues to pull it out the bag.
For us, June cannot come quick enough. Yes, a catwalk is a novel concept for Westminster Abbey, but it has been open for corporate hire for quite some time. We are excited to see exactly why Michele has opted for this historic building; we think it is a huge cultural landmark, and if the Duchess of Cambridge’s exquisite Alexander McQueen wedding dress is to go by, the Abbey will only add to the beauty of Gucci’s collection.