MANIFESTO

#61

ART NOW

GUCCI HA HA HA

2022.06.21

Alessandro Michele and Harry Styles tell the story of a friendship; the Gucci Ha Ha Ha collaboration already suggests their personalities from its name, with the initials of the two artists.

From the creative complicity of Gucci’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, and British singer-songwriter and actor Harry Styles, comes a pragmatic collection that represents the sharing of a true and sincere friendship. The creative approach of the two is different but similar in sensitivity and contamination of common ideas that allow the complicity of their relationship to tell a story. The title of the Ha Ha Ha collection is both a fusion of the initials of their names, and the onomatopoeic sound of laughter; in fact, it is precisely with this wording, or the ‘laughing face’ emoticon, that their message exchanges have always ended. Michele and Harry Styles met many years ago, when Michele was making his debut as Gucci’s creative direction and Styles was releasing his first solo album. Right from the start, they were united by an innate complicity that has grown stronger over time through the sharing of moments, journeys and sensations; a sincere relationship, completely devoted to each other, without envy or hypocrisy. Their fun-loving understanding has now turned into a concrete proposal, a tangible and material product.

“The idea of working together came to me one day while we were talking on the phone: I proposed that we build a ‘dream wardrobe’ together, starting with those little quirks that can put together almost childlike visions.”

– Alessandro Michele

The collaboration is a true blend of different styles: elements of the pop aesthetic inspired by the 1970s, the bohemian spirit, the imagery and characteristics of the gentleman between experimentation and classic masculine tailoring. It was created to be playful and free, to bring out new states of beauty through freedom and naturalness. Among the garments on offer are tailored suits and dresses in irregularly dyed velvet; treated denim jackets; double-breasted coats in Prince of Wales or with a hood and frog fastening; shirts with mother-of-pearl buttons; trousers and kilts with pleats; and accessories of various kinds. The construction of the garments and the attention to detail emphasise the craftsmanship, while research comes alive in the materials chosen, the shapes and the volumes produced. Each element is a recognisable piece of their personal style: a meeting of English tailoring and the harmony of romantic accents. A perfect dialogue of creativity and vision, far from any homologation of form. The collection unites two ‘I’, two strong personalities, resulting in an absolute ‘we’ that is reflected in each proposal. A clear harmony of elements, a dialogue between different cultural backgrounds.

“Harry has a great sense of fashion. Observing his ability to match clothes with a procedure that is out of scale with the standards demanded by common sense taste and the homologation of form, I have learned that their very arrangement is a generator of difference and power…”

– Alessandro Michele 

RIVE DROITE

SAINT LAURENT BY
VANESSA BEECROFT

2023.02.15

Saint Laurent invites Vanessa Beecroft to photograph the Spring 23 collection: a selection of 14 polaroids is on display at Rive Droite stores in Paris and Los Angeles. 

COLLECTION

Gucci Après-Ski

2022.12.15

The Maison presents the new Gucci Après-Ski collection, a selection of garments designed for a luxurious and refined high-altitude season told through a retro campaign inspired by the relaxed atmosphere of winter holidays.

JACQUEMUS

"LE RAPHIA"

2022.12.13

Under a relentless rain of raffia, that breaks in like a summer storm, Jacquemus presents its new Spring Summer 2023 collection, titled “Le Raphia”. The natural fiber becomes the undisputed star moving from its raw essence to being extremely luxurious.

CELINE

Age of Indieness

2022.12.12

Age of Indieness spotlights an aesthetic raised from the indie-sleaze era of the 1990s and early 2000s, Celine’s Winter 2023 collection, designed by Hedi Slimane, walk the catwalk at the Wiltern Theatre in the heart of Los Angeles.

Fashion

Chanel
Métiers d’Art

2022.12.09

The Chanel Métiers d’Art 2022/23 collection, presented under the artistic direction of Virginie Viard, parades at the Palais de Justice in Dakar, capital of Senegal. The show is unique in terms of creativity, and a tribute to the savoir-faire of the place.