The first clue to Frida Giannini's new pared-down aesthetic this season came in the form of her usual Milan show space, which had been coated in an unusually brilliant white. The clean walls and runway underfoot made for a rousing canvas from which her sharply drawn, reductivist collection popped. Giannini's silhouettes were borrowed liberally from the 1960s and centered around Mod-like skinny pants (including a jean) and mini skirt dresses with sharp A-line cuts. The latter were beautifully rendered in dusty shades of sage, mustard and rose with sleeveless leather panelled tops and matching crepe skirts. The new cropped lengths allowed Giannini to play with low, block-heeled knee boots brandished with Gucci's famous horsebit hardware, a metal game that was later played across dress fronts. The boots, like the rest of the breezy sportswear inflected collection, were made not just for walking but also conveniently for sitting, standing, running, dancing and all the other activity sensible women do every day. It's refreshing to see Giannini go back to her levelheaded, feminine roots - to the simplicity, in fact, of her very first collections for Gucci. A clean, no-nonsense womanly aesthetic suits this designer. It allows for the occasional frippery, like Mongolian fur, shaggy goat hair and shaved mink, all in shades of powder pink, to be swallowed as easily and pleasantly as a gumdrop.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
-
How Billecart-Salmon became the hospitality industry’s champagne of choiceNeil Ridley ventures into a subterranean temple to patience and precision beneath the village of Aÿ-Champagne, France, and discovers a winery not of spectacle, but of soul
-
In Baku Sakashita’s new lighting collection, hand-dyed silk threads are delicately illuminatedIn ‘Haku’, ultra-fine LEDs are woven within plant-dyed threads, showcasing intricacy, artistry and traditional Japanese craftsmanship
-
Discover the chic simplicity of CC-Steding jewelleryNic Farnan and Ben Chaplin create delicate silver jewellery in their east London studio
-
Milan exhibition celebrates 20 years of Armani Privé: ‘Haute couture is fashion when it becomes art’Hosted at the Tadao Ando-designed Armani/Silos, ‘Giorgio Armani Privé 2005-2025, Twenty Years of Haute Couture’ displays an expansive collection of the Italian designer’s showstopping haute couture creations
-
Alessandro Michele to exit his role as creative director of GucciItalian house Gucci has confirmed Alessandro Michele will leave after a seven-year tenure in which his eclectic aesthetic has proved a critical and commercial success
-
Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023: Fendi to PradaFrom Prada’s exploration of archetypal menswear garments to JW Anderson’s much-anticipated debut in the city, the best of Milan Fashion Week Men’s S/S 2023, as it happens
-
Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022: Prada to Bottega VenetaIn this extended report, Scarlett Conlon reports live from the Milan Fashion Week A/W 2022 shows, with rolling coverage as they take place on the runway
-
Gucci Love Parade LA to Bottega Veneta in Detroit: American fashion must-seesGrab your headscarf, sunglasses and driving shoes as we take a stylish road trip around the USA, where cities including Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit are dialling up their fashion focus with events, activations and runway shows
-
Step inside a Gucci campaign in FlorenceGucci Garden ‘Archetypes' exhibition brings to life 15 of Alessandro Michele's most iconic advertising campaigns for the Florentine brand
-
A decade of fashion show history in picturesBritish photographer Jason Lloyd Evans shares his favourite backstage images, from the runway shows of Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Armani, Proenza Schouler, Versace and more
-
Gucci's Seoul show considers radical perspectives on ‘otherness’The fashion label sponsors ‘No Space, Just a Place, which invites guests to consider radical perspectives on ‘otherness’, led by Tunisian-born curator Myriam Ben Salah
