Kate Moss caused a mini-commotion in the front row at Gucci today. She stars in a fall campaign for the brand's new Jackie bag: In a case of advertising imitating life, the paparazzi chase her through an airport. Frida Giannini's terrific Spring collection caught some of Moss' rock-chick look in the way it mixed denim, kimono silks, and shaggy furs. The supermodel has always been a vintage shopper to beat the band, and Giannini often approaches her Gucci collections in a similar way, picking up the best bits of the past and giving them a contemporary spin. After last season's sharp swing through the '60s, today's show had more of an early-'70s thing going on. It looked like the love child of Jimi Hendrix and Ali MacGraw—glam with a touch of the good girl.
The glam came through in the gold bullion embroidery of the bandleader jackets and the multicolor Mongolian lamb on boleros and vests (collectibles all). You caught glimpses of the good girl in the sailor-style jeans, a denim blue jumpsuit with contrasting yellow stitching, or a short-sleeve space-dye sweater worn with a neat, A-line suede skirt. Hair and makeup (from the new Gucci beauty range, launching with a party tonight) were both minimal, contributing to the innocent impression.
What made these clothes better than a trip to the vintage store, of course, was the Gucci quality. A bottle green glove-leather shirtdress inset with broderie anglaise was undeniably precious, but it retained an easy, offhand quality that made it desirable. Same goes for the treasure that was the jacket pieced together from antique Japanese silks. Its patchwork pattern inspired the collection's print, which Giannini used for a shirtwaist dress and a pajama set, both equally relaxed. If the show relied a touch too much on jeans for a designer offering, that's a small detail. Giannini is at her believable best when she embraces everyday luxury. The good life, after all, is what the Gucci mythology is all about. This season she eschewed the usual parade of red carpet numbers for a trio of cocktail dresses in chinoiserie print silks trimmed with crystals. Couture workmanship with casual vibes—Kate could tell you, it's hard to resist a combo like that.
