Masks, just like fashion, protects one through an artifice that might or might not be authentic. Yet it’s also an expression in of itself. This was the narrative Alessandro Michele worked on for his Fall 2019 runway show. At this point, his revolutions at Gucci only stayed within the vintage and gender-defying territories upon which he’s created a new trend: maximalism. This season, however, that maximalism was more of the protective sort but is as eclectic as ever. The 1940s silhouettes—the big shapes that looked like armor themselves—were abundant here. Shoulders were bigger and broader while waists were tighter and more defined. A series of white laced-up looks were harlequin-esque in style, but also looked domineering in a slightly intimidating and twisted way. And of course, the tailoring here was superb. Each piece was so delicately constructed that it’s easy to see how well they’ll fare even without the layered styling and quirky messaging. This is what Gucci represent nowadays, and for many people out there, it’s incredibly important!
Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com
