When it comes to luxury fashion Gucci has always been at the top. Alongside the other stalwarts of the fashion industry—Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton et al—the Italian fashion house has remained popular. Founded in 1921, this 99-year-old brand is arguably the biggest its ever been. True, Tom Ford’s tenure shouldn’t be discounted (he gave the brand real sass during the ’90s), but since Alessandro Michele took over the helm of creative director in 2015, Gucci has completely transformed.
Despite only being appointed head honcho half a decade ago, in the past five years, thanks to Michele, the brand has become the most popular, and most profitable, in the Kering family, which also owns Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga. There’s no denying the effect of Michele’s new aesthetic he’s brought to the label.
Although sales have dipped during the pandemic, according to global fashion search platform Lyst, Gucci is the most popular brand after Nike and Off-White. So how has he done it? Thanks to Michele pushing the boundaries of the brand, collections have have been more experimental and exciting, even within the confines of a huge fashion house (hello, those severed heads on the autumn/winter 2018 catwalk), and it’s all the better for it.
That’s not to say that everything the brand does is perfect but it has made fashion accessible—it’s less snobby and means the fashion house’s designs aren’t confined to those with huge pay packets. From bags to T-shirts as well as the GG belt, there are new icons from the Michele era that cannot be ignored.
I’ve followed the brand closely over that time, and there are a few pieces that have stood out. Keep scrolling for the new icons of the brand that will stand up years down the line.
Next up, the biggest spring/summer 2021 fashion trends to know.
This piece was published at an earlier date and has been updated.
