Distortedly contemplative yet thrillingly philosophical, Episode 2 of GucciFest absorbs the viewer into a nonsensical scene of ordinary life. A dialect between fashion, expression and interpretation, Alessandro Michele plays with the limits of sense and normality. Less sequential than Day One, there is a duality to the cinematographic: a visual feast of fashion, vibrancy, life and a deductive subtitle dialect. Despite the simultaneity, we are invited into two separate worlds, of appearance and perception.
As Arlo Parks asks ‘I wonder what “clear” means’, Gucci questions the sense of reality. By definition, clear defines something easily understood, transparency, something comprehendible. To be ‘clear’ in society means to follow the norm, oppose little contradictions to expectation and, most importantly, to fit in and never cross what our culture has pre-defined as acceptable. As GucciFest unfolds, it is evident they too are questioning these definitions.
Look 16 and look 18 images via GucciFest website
The Café Silvia walks into is a microcosm of life: it is vibrant, it is bustling, it is diverse, it is universal, it is socially engaged. This richness of setting allows for a spectrum of looks which debut Gucci’s collection not as material items but as living art. The undistinguishable concoction of life we are absorbed into is an energy materialised in the cocktail of loud prints, opulent fabrics and bold colours. Each garment feels a blend between past and present, the house’s origin and tradition being woven into a contemporary vision, a celebration of roots and growth inferred by subtle notes of Gucci’s trademark brown and eclectic print. Silvia’s top – with the slogan 1921 – speaks to the House’s creation date, her skirt whispers similarities with the infamous Gucci print, and her bag is a recreation of the Bamboo bag. As she catwalks past the identically dressed women (all wearing the Alessandro Michele’s printed silk plissé red dress, thrown off the balcony in Episode 1) we infer a transition, a symbolic movement from the old to the new, the simple and ‘clear’ to the messy and lively.
Look 19 and look 20 images via GucciFest
The character with the dog, dressed in a gorgeous brown suit and patterned jumper, embodies the warmth and suave established by Gucci’s famous colour palette. This is beautifully contrasted by the character in the purple suit who screams extravagance, the luxe velvety texture offset perfectly by the hint of pattern through his silk scarf and flat cap. The character in the faux-fur coat emphasises her wearing of Gucci Beauty lipstick in Rouge à Lèvres Satin shade 25. The variety of influence and fashion we witness through the episode’s development creates a mirage of looks reminiscent of the possibilities of expression. ‘Geometry is magical because it is about building things, it’s about emotions we feel when faced with possibilities’ says Arlo Parks. Our brand is open-ended, screams Gucci.
Look 24 and look 26 image via GucciFest website
Alessandro Michele’s playfulness within the brand is oozing through GucciFest. Remaining still as a pre-disposed observer, the viewer is travelling through an exploration of expression. On day one this was the expression of the self; on Day two it is the expression of meaning and sense. The surrealism embedded in the subtitles challenges our interpretation, as we are forced to rely only on the words themselves rather than our understanding. Since everybody in the Café understands their conversations, this disconnect between us and them re-distributes the power. Our interpretation is now rooted not in our pre-conceived knowledge but our present emotions. The power is placed in the individual, not in the mass.
Words by Hannah Emery
Graphics by Victoria Zhao
