THE YEAR OF GUCCI
Firstly, if you don't know the background, let us fill you in. Way back when, in January 2015, Frida Giannini called it quits on her eight year reign at Gucci. The creative director shaped hole which was left caused a considerable amount of rumours and speculation until eventually, mere weeks before the A/W'15 shows, Alessandro Michele was crowned as her replacement. Sounds of whooping and cheering were quickly followed by whispers of 'who?' as the relatively unknown designer took the helm of Italy's 95 year old fashion house.
Surprise quickly turned to joy as Michele, who had been a dark horse working behind the scenes at Gucci since 2002, proved to be one of the greatest creative decisions of recent years. His unique celebration of individuality, quirkiness and all things retro paved the way for a new era. The vibrant collections that followed stimulated a huge amount of attention for Michele, and won him International Fashion Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards in November.
There is little use in re-capping every single item in the collection as the eccentric clothes speak for themselves, but how could we not mention those controversial must-haves of the year: super furry loafers. Love them or hate them, they frequented 2015's 'it' list, from street-style to catwalk - they were EVERYWHERE! From pussy-bows to florals, from pleats to peep-toes, 2015 was Gucci's year and we simply cannot wait to see what is in store for this increasingly inventive brand!
Shop the Gucci collection at Cruise here