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The attraction of Gucci’s pre-fall collection lies in its tendency towards individual interpretation, as Margaret Zhang found out
Margaret Zhang puts her own spin on Gucci’s pre-fall collection.
“IT’S NOT REALLY ABOUT ANY ONE PERIOD OF TIME,”
23-year-old slashie Margaret Zhang says of Gucci’s nostalgia-soaked pre-fall collection, after teaming up with the house to capture the pieces through her own camera lens. “I love Alessandro Michele’s references to symbolism throughout art history: the iconography, the animal motifs, the colour.”
Her must-have piece?
“I WANT THOSE YELLOW-LENSED GLASSES. I FEEL LIKE THE WORLD WOULD LOOK SO COOL THROUGH YELLOW LENSES.”
Considering Zhang is making the declaration in an outfit consisting of various shades of black, it’s hard to see how a sunny wash of unadulterated colour would fit into her chicly curated world. But she has managed to nail the essence of the collection, not to mention the skewed aesthetic Michele has become known for since taking over the top post at Gucci last year: everything appears as if viewed through a warm vintage filter.
While the Italian designer chose to present his highly decorative collection in richly decadent surrounds, the digital influencer used the small window of time she was allocated during Milan Fashion Week to whisk a handful of key looks off to the white-walled, concrete-floored Galleria Lia Rumma.
“I WANTED THE GIRLS TO MOVE IN WAYS THEY DON’T NORMALLY MOVE, TO DANCE AROUND, BECAUSE FOR THESE CLOTHES YOU WANT TO SEE HOW THEY MOVE AND HOW THE LIGHT HITS.”
The three floors of the gallery that had been devoted to the installation, photography and video of artist Marzia Migliora provided a clean, architectural backdrop to communicate Zhang’s modern perspective on lavish textures and opulent prints. But no matter the setting, appliquéd sweaters, lacetrimmed and ruffled dresses, licorice allsorts stripes and bags stamped with hearts and stars are proof of why Michele’s designs have become the unofficial “anti-uniform” of the forward-thinking street-style set.
“IT’S HIS CHARACTER,” Zhang explains. “He creates this girl who’s very unassuming, superfun, running around, having a good time with her friends, swapping in different accessories and mixing and matching.”
After all, eccentricity may be the common denominator, but one glance at the recent Gucci line-up and it’s clear there is no one prescribed look, personality or way to wear it. “It’s not really about a formula. You could really take any two pieces from the collection and put them together, and it would be a totally different look.” Albeit with a yellowish tint.