Gucci launches Manifesto collection

In a new, pioneering move, Gucci will celebrate its fall-winter fashion show with a special collection that commemorates the inspiration and thinking behind it. The new “Gucci Manifesto” collection makes use of the motif of the “mask”, as showcased at the fall/winter 2019 fashion show, and features text discussing the cultural significance of this item, reproduced from the show’s press release. In particular, the collection champions one key message throughout: “The mask as a cut between visible and invisible”.

There are three styles in the “Gucci Manifesto” collection: a short-sleeve, crew-neck cotton T-shirt, and a long-sleeve, oversize, cotton sweatshirt, either with crew-neck, or hooded. These are cut differently for men and for women, and have a variety of different printed fronts and backs.

These pieces have been sold primarily online at gucci.com, as a way of spreading the “Gucci Manifesto” worldwide. For women there is a red T-shirt featuring a metal-spike mask print on the front in black and white, with “Gucci” written underneath in black and the show’s main slogan on the back, also in black (“The mask as a cut between visible and invisible”); a crew-neck sweatshirt comes in the same color and design. For men there is a T-shirt featuring a carnival cat mask and “Gucci” on the front and the season’s slogan on the back. It comes in either black or white, and in both cases the printed details are in pale blue; a hooded sweatshirt in black or white is also available, with the same decoration in the same blue color.

There are also different “Gucci Manifesto” T-shirts and sweatshirts on sale in Gucci stores and Gucci wholesale accounts, for both men and women. They come in a variety of colors and all have mask prints on their fronts (the metal-spike mask, carnival cat mask or alien mask). “Gucci” features either on the front or back of each garment and some pieces also display a record of the date of the show: “Gucci Fall Winter 2019/20”. The writing on the back either states simply “Gucci”, the show’s key slogan (“The mask as a cut between visible and invisible”), or reproduces the entire show press release.

These retail and wholesale “Gucci Manifesto” items are wrapped in special packaging – a black box with a carnival cat mask motif and “Gucci” on the lid, in white, and the collection slogan on the reverse of the lid, also in white.

For the occasion, the Gucci App will also unveil a dedicated section, allowing users to discover the collection and to virtually try-on the masks through the augmented reality. The technology – available for iOS and Android – gives users the possibility to wear their favorite masks from the fall/winter 2019 fashion show and to take photos and videos of themselves, providing an engaging experience.

New Gucci ArtWalls are also dedicated to the collection and its spirit, celebrating the role of the mask worldwide. The “Gucci Manifesto” walls debuted in Lafayette Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighbourhood, in Milan’s Largo la Foppa (in the district of Corso Garibaldi), just off East London’s famous Brick Lane, in Hong Kong’s D’Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, in Shanghai’s Fengsheng Li, Jingan district and in Mexico City’s Avenida de Michoacan, in the Condesa area.

photos: courtesy of Gucci