SHOPPING GUIDE

“Florals for spring? Ground Breaking!” It’s the infamous Devil Wears Prada line which has transcended from season to season and instilled fear in the hearts of fashionistas who dared to don anything that resembled foliage or flora from September to November.

It’s been more than 10 years since Miranda Priestly, who we might add isn’t even a real person but a character, changed spring fashion with a single scold. Since 2006, fashion houses, designers, stylists and those with their finger on the fashion pulse thought twice about florals for spring. As quick and as a dramatically as florals as we knew them shriveled up, they’ve made a bold, contemporary and (what we think) permanent return.

Trend forecasting aside, isn’t it interesting how one character with one line in one movie can make the fashion industry abandon an old faithful, a classic that was so loyal to us for so long. In the legacy of designer Alessandro Michele, we should be avoiding the trend chase, not buying up just because its new and fresh, cherishing the old and decorating a faithful piece to give it new life. Authenticity and freedom are the new rules for fashion designers.

That’s why we love Gucci.

As florals bloom into fashion for another run at the spring title, Runway Magazine’s influence is fading. It is a major shift of power in the fashion and social media world and that is exactly why major fashion brand including Gucci, Balenciaga and Vetements are targeting the younger generation who are, in the majority, spending their time “on the street” (where street style was of course born).

The whole fashion industry seems to have backflipped since Alessandro Michele took over Gucci four years ago, from the popularity of minimalism to maxamilism. When everybody was wearing a Gucci loose-fit T-shirt, unflattering  Vetements stiff jeans, extremely tacky and uncool Gucci monogram handbag, the industry was thinking WTF?  But within a second, a trend is created, a trend we can’t resist. (*quietly sneaks into the Gucci store and buys an overpriced Gucci loose-fit T-shirt).

Not to brag here, but when I saw Alessandro Michele’s second show with Gucci Princetown kangaroo fur slipper plus loafer, I ran to the Melbourne Gucci store and put down a deposit on own pair. Back then, the sales assistant told me, “Oh that is something extremely unwearable for Australian customers, we won’t stock them, unless you want to do a special order with us”. Fortunately luck was on my side as the Gucci buyer happened to be in Paris for the buying season. Gucci Princetown has since become the most selling styling in the world and also became the “Bloggers Shoe”. It’s like a knew.

Not only have Princetown and wearing-slippers-to-work become the new thing in fashion and style, but also the old tacky Gucci monochrome has as well become the “new cool”. I remembered how I was told “only the rich Chinese tourist and rich second-generation-overseas-student” would carry a Gucci or Louis Vuitton monogramed canvas tote or handbag years ago, but as the new creative director Alessandro Michele said, “There are too many rules in fashion in recent years”.

We were forced to keep buying new seasons to let people know we were stylish, we were cool. We forgot the old things, we abandoned the old-good-times, we think the old Gucci logo monochrome is not cool anymore, because it is old, and we are all chasing the minimalism trend. Sometimes more is more, there should be no rules in fashion, if something old is a beauty, it should always be a beauty. We should cherish our favourite pieces and wear them again in different ways or add interesting details to them. That is exactly how Alessandro Michele interprets the making old things new, making the uncool become the new cool. It is the same reason Rihanna is popular, why Vetements is popular. Show your authenticity, have an open mind and break the rules.

GUCCI knitted vest: Mr.Porter
GUCCI loafers : Farfetch
Final Editing: Emma Clarke
Creative Direction & Drafting : Bloggers Boyfriend
Photography: Bloggers Boyfriend Self-Portrait with Nikon D610 + Sigma 18-35mm f1.8
Trousers with front split zippers: custom made by Bloggers Boyfriend
Make-up, Hair & Photo-editing: Bloggers Boyfriend
Location: Gordan Street Garage