Gucci FW20 Tackles Toxic Masculinity and Gender Identity
Celebrating Alessandro Michele’s five years as creative director.
To celebrate Alessandro Michele‘s half-decade anniversary as Gucci‘s creative director, the brand held its first show on the menswear schedule since 2017 during Milan Fashion Week. The collection pulled no punches, delivering garments both wearable and envelope-pushing, accompanied by show notes that laid out Michele’s aims to combat Western society’s “macho virility ideal.”
Indeed, the notes that accompany Gucci’s latest collection hardly mention the garments themselves, instead laying out the problems associated with toxic masculinity and performative gender identities. “Toxic masculinity, in fact, nourishes abuse, violence and sexism. … it produces oppressors and victims at the same time,” explains Gucci. “It seems necessary to suggest a desertion, away from patriarchal plans and uniforms. It’s time to celebrate a man who is free to practice self-determination, without social constraints, without authoritarian sanctions, without suffocating stereotypes.”
Upholding the motif is an array of gender-refuting garments, ranging from cropped knitwear to delicate blouses. Baggy, washed-out denim pants and ripped corduroys repurpose the masculine silhouette, contrasting it with duck-embroidered layers, delicate jewelry and pale florals. Gold button-accented coats and boxy wool suiting was shown on male and female models alike, styled with handbags, Mary Jane shoes and Gucci’s latest technical running sneaker.
Relive Gucci’s FW20 collection above and take a closer look via Gucci’s Instagram posts below.
Most recently, Gucci launched two exclusive collections: one for Dover Street Market and another for Chinese New Year.
