Fresh from the success of the Gucci tie-ups with The North Face and Kering stablemate, Balenciaga, the Italian luxury house’s creative director Alessandro Michele is rolling out another, this time with the sportswear brand adidas.
First glimpsed at the Gucci autumn/winter 2022 fashion show, the collection has now been fully revealed, before its global release on June 7.
A long-time adidas fan (Michele apparently collects adidas Gazelle trainers), the Italian designer has lovingly reworked pieces from both sides of this equation. Vintage-style adidas zip through jackets and tracksuits have now been uplifted with Gucci motifs, while the Gucci logo has been melded with the adidas trefoil across varied surfaces, with a decidedly 1970s, joyful feel.
For both genders, this expansive outing covers a wealth of ideas, from retro satin shorts — now in pink for men — to tracksuits with the adidas triple stripe down the leg, to bucket hats covered in the Gucci logo. Meanwhile, pool slides arrive in towelling with the adidas trefoil symbol, while that same flower-like design has been turned into an interlocking pattern, seemingly lifted straight from 1970s wallpaper.
As with everything Michele touches, this is fun and playful, in a kaleidoscope of colours such as green, pink, red, yellow and blue, to even turquoise satin. There are retro-style tracksuits, logo-ed, zip-through jackets; high-waisted, second-skin shorts; pencil skirts; bell-bottoms; and even bucket hats.
Adidas crossbody bags, meanwhile, have been given a Gucci makeover, with both names across the front.
The collection has been shot by Dutch photographer Carlijn Jacobs, who has captured the historical mood by recreating a 1970s sportswear catalogue. A magical blend of the two houses, it seems as if Michele has taken a trip down memory lane.
Anyone hoping to snag some of the collection will have to be fast. It can be obtained only at select stores, via pop-ups, and online through the Gucci website, where pre-registration is required.
With monogrammed clogs going for $1,250, this is not going to be cheap.
But, given the unfettered joy this collection brings, that seems a small price to pay for happiness.
