Gucci gives guests backstage pass at Milan show

Gucci designer Alessandro Michele took his audience behind the scenes as he revealed his latest collection on the first full day of Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday.

Guests entered the Gucci headquarters in the outskirts of Milan through a backstage area, walking past desks where uniformed stylists worked on models’ hair and makeup. As spectators took their seats, the models paraded onto a revolving stage in their robes and slippers.

Set to the sounds of Ravel’s “Bolero” and shrouded in smoke, the theatrical spectacle saw models getting dressed between clothing racks on the spinning stage, with assistants helping them into the Gucci Fall/Winter 2020 designs before they transformed into mannequins in a rotating shop window.

“I decided to unveil what lies behind the curtains. May the miracle of skilful hands and holding breath come out of the shadows,” Michele said in the handwritten show notes.

Michele, Gucci’s creative director since 2015, offered a collection of ruffled Victorian dresses and seventies suits with ankle-length flared trousers.

Outfits were often loose fitting, with the exception of tight see-through shirts worn over Gucci-logoed bras. Vibrant greens, yellows and blues contrasted with autumnal greys and earthy browns.

Crosses on long chains and headwear in various shapes were a dominant feature of his new Autumn-Winter look. Brogues and platformed Mary Janes were worn with knee-high white socks.

As the show drew to an end, the uniformed dressers replaced the models behind the glass screens, receiving applause from the audience.

Milan Fashion Week runs through Feb. 24.