Youth and nostalgia remains eternal at Alessandro Michele’s Gucci, and the new adidas x Gucci collection serves as the decade’s think-piece on a nouveau search for the fountain of youth.
Stripes are an incredibly persuasive design motif, but at the same time, they also possess polarity. In certain ways, the use of horizontal lines has always been loaded with meaning and can be employed to a powerful effect. French professor on medieval history, Michel Pastoureau once said that “man proposes and the stripe disposes, in the stripe there is something that resists enclosure within systems.” Indeed, thick horizontal lines often carry the idea of brute strength. They create an illusion of broadness, which is why they are often employed in sportswear.
On the same end, as factions of this athletic composure have migrated into our daily lives, stripes on clothes, today, have never been more associated with youth. On the streets of any urban city, three bold horizontal lines parade as though they have become the ubiquitous uniform for anyone aged 21 and under.
While an easy dissection of this phenomenon might be the way sports is often associated with youth (the idea that the young possess an inclination to high-intensity activities and comfort), the breakthrough could lie in the way these brands represent most teenagers’ first big, “branded” purchase. At a slightly accessible price point, they instantly become the go-to for clothes that shout as loud as they can.
Today at Gucci, youth and nostalgia are two principles artistic director Alessandro Michele stands firmly by. It is employed thoroughly — Fall 2015 was the first time we glimpsed into Michele’s renewed vision and has remained even up till the Exquisite Gucci show. This specific imagery has been plastered on the fashion landscape to an irreversible scale, which eventually leads us to the unexpected announcement of the Gucci and adidas crossover.
The sartorial streetwear creations — a merger of sport-inspired pieces and a fixation on stripes — play out across ready-to-wear pieces that echo the silhouettes of athletic staples and leisurewear. Track pants feature the white Three Stripes of Adidas on one leg, while the other is defined by the red and green Web of Gucci.
Conventionally formal pieces like leather heels, suede loafers, and silk scarves are cross-pollinated with echoes of activewear and are marked with casual codes. Similarly, retro aesthetics become intrinsically contemporary as they proclaim there are no rules when it comes to dressing up. The shoe selection presents Gucci’s take on the famous Adidas Gazelle sneakers for both men and women.
A new interpretation of the House’s emblematic Horsebit loafers in leather or suede is shown with the red and green Web accented by the Adidas Three Stripes. Leather and GG canvas clogs are also marked with the Adidas Trefoil and ‘Gucci’ lettering, while terry-fabric slides showcase the Adidas Originals emblem with the House monogram.
To launch the collaboration, Gucci has set up a pop-up at Design Orchard — it is open to public from 7 – 27 June and is one of two ways one can get a hold of pieces from the collection, with the House’s e-commerce site gucci.com/sg as the next best option.
Discover more of the collection here.
Once you’re done reading about the new Adidas x Gucci collection, click here to catch up with our June/July 2022 issue.
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