Out of all of the Italian design houses, Gucci has to be my favorite. I think this is because they manage to stay classic yet are still considered a major designer label, which usually is a title that lends itself to companies that create the latest and greatest fashion statements. And not that they don't, they just do it differently. For instance, Gucci will take one of their classic shoes, like the loafer above, and create 100 different color/pattern/material options for that style, season after season, making you think that they have a new style but really it is just one of their classics with a twist. This idea of taking classic styles and giving them modern twists has always resonated with me as the most intelligent thing to do in fashion considering that everything just reinvents itself and becomes popular again (like the recent surge in Saddle shoes). Of course new ideas are great, but when a company tries to come up with the craziest, most outlandish shoes (like Prada's studded shoe) that no one has ever seen before, it can become a little absurd.
Another thing that I love about Gucci and find quite funny is how they have recently managed to become great knock-off artists. If you look carefully at these pictures you will notice that there is a Gucci version of a Van's shoe, a Creative Recreation shoe and of a Red Wing shoe. They have been doing this for a little over a year now and have been quite successful at it. And, from a business standpoint, I can't be mad at them. If something is big and is selling a lot, it only makes sense to try and ride the wave because if you can do it well and possibly better than the originator, then monetarily speaking you will be in for a good kickback. But if you don't do it well, it can possibly tarnish your image. What's great about Gucci's position in the fashion world is that I don't think they have much to worry about when it comes to tarnishing their image, which allows them to do whatever they want and knock-off whoever they want. Must be nice!!
So as you can see for their Fall/Winter 2010 selection, they have a little bit of everything, as they should. Some of these products have been out for a little while now and some are much more recent. And while Gucci never really seems to disappoint me, I am particularly pleased with what they have to offer this season. I feel like the selection is quite balanced and the styles have a little bit more of a practical feel to them, like the two boots that are just above this paragraph. There seems to be less full-on Gucci print shoes and a dedication to use actual leather on more of their styles, giving them more of a serious feel. Not that I don't like their Gucci print stuff because I would be lying if I said that I did not own a pair, but I do prefer the sleeker, nonchalant looks that they seem to be thriving on right now. All-in-all they remain the kings of Italian designer fashion, at least in my book!!
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