Going behind-the-scenes of major fashion shows is a cultural obsession. (One that we are certainly not immune from ourselves.)
Alessandro Michele did us all a (thrilling! unexpected!) favour, then, when he made the backstage area the focal point of his Gucci show in Milan, locating it smackbang in the middle of the catwalk. Curtains raised to reveal models dressed in white-waffle dressing gowns, along with a team of make-up artists, hair stylists and dressers, clad in matching grey uniforms, who were on-hand to apply lipstick, fasten buttons and fix collars in an almost hypnotising way.
It takes a village to produce a jaw dropping collection and Alessandro’s show was a buzzy testament to that. “I wanted to show what happens on the other side,” he said after the show. “Fashion is not only about garments, it’s about clothing. That is only part of the story. I wanted to say that fashion is a complex mechanism. It is also a ritual. Something sacred, liturgical, almost like a religion.”
For us, it’s about meeting fresh faces, too. Head to the above gallery to meet eight of the gals and guys who brought the magic of his collection to life. There’s tear-effect mascara, crystal headbands sitting atop braided updos and skin that glows so bright you’re gonna need to wear sunglasses. Oh, and there’s Anna Wintour, too!
We knew this was going to be a goodie from the moment we received our invite via a WhatsApp voice recording from Alessandro himself. But, as we should have come to expect by now, the show outshone all our wildest dreams. Bravo, Alessandro!
Features Editor: Madeleine Woon Photos: Chloe Hill
