Since 1921, a lot has changed in the fashion world—but Gucci’s awareness of quality and trends has remained the same as the brand retains and builds its loyal customer base throughout the years. Though Gucci has always had excellent creative direction, under Frida Giannini and others, the past two years have been a sort of renaissance for the brand. The impetus of change? Alessandro Michele.   Since 2015, Alessandro Michele has been the creative director at the helm of Gucci. As a result, the Alessandro Michele Gucci machine has been an unstoppable fashion force that employs social media, urban style, and political statements to broaden the scope of their audience.   Alessandro Michele's Gucci is self-aware. It’s trendy. It’s viral. And it’s taking the brand to unknown levels of popularity.  

Alessandro Michele's Gucci: The Unstoppable

The audience that Michele draws in with his designs and social media presence is hard to capture—yet he did it. The traditional consumer of Gucci goods is still around despite the changes, which is sometimes difficult to accomplish. Michele's mix of classic and urban styling has created a truly diverse brand that is breaking ground in the fashion world. Here's what Michele has brought to the brand over his creative tenure:  

Edgy Embroidery

Michele's penchant for mixing classic Gucci with modern flair is perfectly showcased in the embroidery that is featured on many designs nowadays.   In the photo below, you can see the way bold embroidered patterns take over the classic designs of these Dionysus bags. Instead of overwhelming the design, however, these patterns complement and add additional layers of detail and intrigue to a beautifully structured design.   Many bags are now featuring embroidered patterns or feature images, like bees or dragons in addition to bold Gucci logos. Though these designs feed into a very  kitsch  aesthetic, they seem vintage-inspired and delightfully detailed—helping these embroidered beauties extend their longevity through future trends.  

A post shared by Gucci (@gucci) on Aug 5, 2017 at 3:28am PDT

 

The Political Statements

"Common sense isn't so common," one Gucci piece reads. And, just like that, a new mix of Gucci imagery and modern tension is incorporated into Gucci's 2017 collections.   This year has been full of political statements in fashion, but with so many young celebrities wearing the brand, Michele is putting an emphasis on their ability to rock luxury with a message.   Collaborating with artists that understand the blend of luxury and urban, these Gucci pieces have transcended the gaps between fashion tiers and played into the nostalgia the fashion world is currently feeling toward the 90s.  

A post shared by Gucci (@gucci) on Jul 27, 2017 at 5:55am PDT

 

The Celebs

Nothing grabs the attention of fashion-loving audiences than celebrities. Couples, gossip, drama, and luxury—it all combines to create the perfect maelstrom of viral fashion.   The Alessandro Michele Gucci campaigns have expertly employed select celebrities to help the branding go a step further. Gucci had Gigi Hadid and Zane Malik on board, flaunting their celeb status on the cover of Vogue while also showcasing the latest Gucci designs. This power couple is at the epicenter of celeb infatuation (at the moment) and these beautiful pictures are perfectly shareable and perfectly Gucci.  

A post shared by Gucci (@gucci) on Jul 14, 2017 at 6:30am PDT

 

The Memes

As far as marketing to the Instagram audience goes, Michele is a genius. Under his creativity, Gucci has amassed a viral campaign in its entirety—the voice, the product, the hashtags, the aesthetic, the memes...   In one campaign, Michele employed multiple artists to create Gucci-centric memes to share. The result was a giant tidal wave of coverage, hundreds of thousands of likes in just a few minutes, and fashion and meme lovers checking the Gucci account every few minutes.   Though there is a lot of weight behind traditional photoshoots and campaigns, it's a bold move (that paid off well) to venture into a part of the internet that other brands haven't dared to go.  

A post shared by Gucci (@gucci) on Mar 19, 2017 at 9:29am PDT

 

How This Fits in With Fashion’s Latest Trend

Gucci is doing one thing right over and over again: Their overt mixing of high and “urban” fashion is capturing the attention of younger audiences and becoming more deeply embedded in the music and celebrity industries. We’re seeing Gucci keep their quality while bringing in some unlikely suspects for first-time luxury lovers; thus, creating some of the more creative and well-loved collections that have pieces for everyone—the edgy and the classic. They haven’t lost their roots or flair for luxury. Instead, it’s louder than ever.