THINKING DIFFERENTLY

WORDS: DAN ROBINSON

Gucci

Italian fashion house Gucci is not shy of making trailblazing moves. It has been a trailblazer in fashion for as long as we can remember, paving the way for many brands to follow. Hiring Tom Ford in 1990 was a renegade move that paid off.

Alessandro Michele’s tenure at the helm was no different and Gucci was re-invested with almost fairytale-like conceptions which drove sales YOY to record numbers. Leveraging social media was a skill Gucci honed and grew its global following in more broad terms, encompassing a new generation of customer.

Key collaborations with artists and heavyweight brands such as Disney and Adidas have kept the brand firmly situated at cult status with millennials making up half of the brand’s sales. With Michele departed, we are excited to see what’s next.

Saint Laurent

Sharp, cool tailoring have always been key attributes of Saint Laurent, since its Yves days. In 2012 Hedi Slimane took the reins and during Slimane’s four-year tenure we witnessed a rebranding of the label. Dropping the ‘Yves’ but gaining revenue the brand saw great success both creatively and commercially. Slimane’s successor, Anthony Vaccarello remains at the helm of Saint Laurent today, continuing to champion a new take on the classic signatures of the brand. SS23’s runway show in Paris was every inch a mix of retro, rebellion and futurism, a bold, brave and heady mix for success.