According to Frida Giannini, the Gucci man wears two faces: sartorial jet-setter and free rock-and-roll spirit. She brought them together in the nautical theme of today's show. Above deck, her "decadent admirals," as she called them, gloried in precision tailoring, like the grosgrain-trimmed evening coat over a silk waistcoat and pants. The deckhands had to make do with paint-splashed denims, or a washed leather jacket paired with striped jeans. Not hard to see who was having more fun.
Gucci's quintessential modness always had something of the military about it, at least as such an idea was translated by sixties swingers. A Little Drummer Boy jacket? Every mod home should have one. By pushing that notion into the naval zone, Giannini gave herself the chance to offer something fresh and bright, white and navy striped. She combined the precision of a uniform (laser cut for added sharpness) with something totally relaxed. The cross-body strap of a semi-duffel made like a military sash. What shirts there were were pajama-like, long and collarless. Otherwise, the models sported scoop-neck tees, little striped kerchiefs, and casually rolled sailor pants. "Mick on Mustique," Giannini volunteered. "Or Steven Tyler." In fact, this collection worked best in the moments when a hint of sensuality undercut all the navy-and-white crispness.
