Gucci is currently moving into its second phase of changing the game of fashion.
Gucci’s newest venture, Gucci DIY (Do It Yourself), is making its next move towards a diversification of personalization options for its customers. The brand initially launched with an initiative based on the House’s Dionysus bag, now the focus has shifted to an extensive program of customizable menswear, unisex jackets and shoes for men and women.
During the upcoming Milan men’s fashion week Gucci will showcase the DIY service in a dedicated area within the House flagship store at Via Montenapoleone.
Gucci’s Creative Director Alessandro Michele holds this project very close to his heart and wishes to enable customers of the House to express themselves through the personalization of selected products. Alessandro’s philosophy is greatly influenced by his love of the British punk attitude and states that the way you dress is an expression of your personality and that men and women should feel genuinely free to enjoy self-expression.
There will be a wide range of men products available for customization including fully canvassed jackets, eveningwear jackets, blazers, tuxedos and coats. Customers will have the opportunity to select from a wide variety of fabrics and buttons as well as monogram lettering options. The major key to the process is the selection of lining. Gucci is producing a variety of bright patterns in silk foulard to choose from and these designs can be used for both jacket lining and trouser waistbands.
A major part of the entire DIY initiative revolves around eveningwear. Customers can now recreate their favorite red carpet looks for the first time. There will also be formal shirts with an array of collar and cuff options, a selection of silk printed shirts and a number of knitwear styles which come in 14-guage cashmere and exclusive fine 21-guage merino wool. Symbols and monograms can be embroidered on to knitwear pieces and shirts.
The brand has also included leather biker jackets made of exotic skins and calfskin that feature studs and hand painting. Gucci DIY has helped Gucci promote more casual jacket styles with the launch of unisex bombers and denim jackets. Bomber jackets are in silk and are available in a reversible style, in models with embroidery and patches, and in different single-color options. The denim jackets are in 14 oz. Japanese denim and come in two washes and two fits; they can be lined in either silk or shearling, and are offered with different options of patches.
Before you decide to customize all your clothes like crazy the customization available does depend on the garment. There is much more than just the fabric or the colors the customization can be within the simple details. The patches and embroidery on offer are drawn from Gucci’s lexicon of symbols and include kingsnakes, flowers and bees. These can appear discretely on the cuff or collar of a shirt, or as a large patch on the back of a tailored or denim jacket. A large monogram patch can be applied to bomber, denim and leather jackets. The choice of how to interpret Alessandro Michele’s aesthetic vision is left to the customer.
But wait there’s more! Gucci DIY doesn’t just stop at clothing they also offer customization for both men and women shoes. The Ace white leather trainer, which comes with the House green-red-green Web stripe on its side and a heel trim in green or red, can now be personalized with embroidered initials in a variety of thread colors. Dressy mules are available in a variety of materials and colors, and can be personalized with a choice of horsebit in silver or gold, embossed initials on the insole, and offer the possibility of adding a tiger’s head patch to the apron of some models in yellow, green or blue. The New Signoria classic styles (for men) lace-up, monk strap and loafer are available in many materials and colors, and can be customized with embossed initials on the insole. All the DIY project shoes feature specially designed packaging, and the Signoria styles come with shoe trees.
Although the aim of the DIY service is to encourage customers to interpret the Gucci aesthetic in their own individual way, the combination of materials, detailing and decoration on offer ensures that the end result will always evoke the spirit of Alessandro Michele’s vision.