Gucci Resort 2018: The Sloppy Copy

I took a moment to reflect on Gucci’s recent collections, and honestly feel like I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the librarian look, the 70’s has been great to Gucci and I likewise will adore many of the on-trend looks and grimace at others.    The look that stood out from the collection was the white graphic dress to the left.  While Moschino did this under Jeremy Scott’s creative direction, I do love graphic elements of design, and feel like the melding of reality and illustration or art is something that’s modern, a play on 2D and 3D, and whimsical.  Speaking of originality, Gucci  has come under attack for stealing ideas a lot lately, such as this rip off of a Louis Vuitton rip off or rather copy-upcycle design by Dapper Dan- It’s a weird circle, but there is no doubt some shady business in the fashion industry (although it was a reference). Gucci has this unapologetic stance on replicas- because it’s referencing copies in its own collections, with the help of “Knockoff artist Trevor Andrew a.k.a. the Guci Ghost,” according to W Magazine’s “From a Controversial Dapper Dan Reference to Pearl Eyebrows, See Every Detail from Gucci’s Resort 2018 Show.” The Guccy teddy bear sweater may be a hint at the Moschino bears, with the replica black market theme tied in.  It’s not so simple as to say, oh it’s on purpose- the controversy doesn’t stop there- Gucci has also been accused of stealing a designer’s runway special effects makeup (below).  Your hands look red Gucci…pay creatives for their intellectual property, originality, and artwork.  Hire talented people instead of allowing the less-than capable to ride on the curtails of the rightful owners of your ideas. This is something that extends into the beauty industry as well, Kylie Jenner and others have been criticised for lacking to give credit where it’s due.

Flashback Friday: Moschino showed designs with the wrinkles and shading printed onto the garments in previous collections, Moschino London Fashion Week Men’s Fall/Winter 2016 FW16 LFWwhilst their SS17 collection, Moschino Spring/Summer 2017 also featured paper-doll dresses with similar line detailing.
 

The Gucci Resort 2018 collection featured Asian flare with kimono belts and colorful silks, colorfully embroidery on plaid shirts at the yolk, segued to quilted coats, a chic use of print in the three piece womens look.  A continuation of this 70’s and dandy trends ran through the collection: I am left wondering how long we will tolerate these trends before we force them out with our modernized fashion cycles… I can tolerate the look this year- but then it’s gotta go.
We are seeing period influences taking grasp of the runways for Resort 2018, and given the gorgeous glamour that the 70’s have brought on, I am eager to see the shift toward that direction- without evoking costume, as in my critique of Dior Resort 2018 in my recent post, I Can’t: Resort 2018’s Worst.  The color palette was gorgeously refreshing: lime,  emerald, red, yellow, blue, black, dusty rose, burnt orange, lilac, seafoam, brown, pepto,  urine, pea, serenity…  The fabric selection included a continuation of the use of tapestry fabrics, lace, GG fur (that’s too tacky to slaughter for), furs contrasting a clear synthetic material, wallpaper coats maybe?, a floral rug for sure…damn carpet baggers, plaid flannel- the quicker picker upper, silk satin, wool, silk chiffon, shearling, and denim in light-wash and muted blue stone-wash, and striped and metallic knits. The menswear was seriously lacking.  Metallic sequins, beaded tassel ropes, big cat pendants, and chokers directed the eye up to the runway beauty: a pale matte face paired with the occasional dark lip- it really did compliment the fashion.

(Photos: Vogue.com)

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