Gucci’s Fall/Winter 2018 presentation was arguably the most bizarre show so far this Fashion Month — and that’s with Calvin Klein’s popcorn-covered floor, a Transformers-like robot at Philipp Plein, and Cheetos as accessories at Chromat.
Creative Director Alessandro Michele appeared to be aiming for maximum oddity during the show, which was held at the Gucci Hub in Milan on Wednesday.
From the setting (a brightly-lid operating theater, complete with overhead LED nights and operating tables) to props (which included dragons, severed heads, and Mexican wrestling-inspired face masks), there wasn’t a thing that didn’t raise eyebrows at the seriously strange presentation.
Fashion is coming… Gucci put on a very strange show at Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday — which included a model holding a baby dragon
Weird: The seriously odd collection included colorful masks and clashing prints
Facial hair: Some models appeared to have no eyebrows, while others had unibrows painted on
Aaaah! This model was seen carrying a replica of his own head. Some joked that he looked like one Weasley twin carrying the decapitated head of the other
There was a hint of what was to come when the invitations went out. Arriving in what appeared to be medical waste bags, the orange timers had Parental Advisory warnings along with the show details.
When guests arrived, they sat in what looked like an operating theater. The walls had been painted a hospital green, and even the chairs were picked to look like those used in waiting rooms.
Operating tables were placed at intervals on the runway, with LED lights hung overhead.
But if fashion editors were worried that they’d soon witness a grisly surgery, their minds were soon put to rest when models walked out, maneuvering around the tables and basically ignoring them altogether.
There was still plenty to cause confusion, though. The first model to step out was dressed in a masculine suit, inexplicably emblazoned with the New York Yankees logo.
Ready for an outfit transplant! The room was set up to look like an operating room, complete with beds
Hey, Taylor! One model also carried a snake in her hands down the runway
Beauties: While the outfits were certainly strange, hair and makeup were on the weird side, too
Hats off: It is unlikely that the Mexican wrestling masks — which insists are balaclavas — will go on sale
Hm… The entire spectacle, from the clothes to the setting, was certainly confusing
Next up was a model in a ruffled dress with a contrasting turban, as well as bulky flat sneakers. The third wore a scarf on her head and had a unibrow painted on, while the fourth had an iridescent ’80s-style party dress layered over tan slacks — with a Mexican wrestling mask on her face.
Gucci said they were actually ‘knitted balaclava[s] inspired by a vintage ski knit’.
Shockingly, things only got stranger. Several models, both male and female, carried what looked like severed versions of their own heads. The nearly exact replicas gave the impression that they were toting along the heads of their identical twins.
‘I mean I realize that some top models are head hunted for shows…but this is ridiculous!’ one Twitter user joked in response. ‘Fashion show or horror show….way too creepy!’
Oversized glasses, bulky jackets, and studded jeans gave some looks a distinctly ’80s vibe, yet others had no discernible theme at all — like the outfit that layered a pink tinsel skirt over checked pants, before adding a tweed jacket, lace tights, sneakers, and another wrestling mask.
In for fall? Apparently, sequins and tinsel go well with oversized ’80s glasses, sneakers, and ski masks
Glamorous? Jeweled headdresses and body jewelry added a little glitz
Wrestling masks weren’t the only face coverings, though they showed up teamed with lacy breast-baring tops and evening gowns. One model wore a pink lace mask, while another wore an embellished yarn piece.
Several models also wore dragon brooches, with one male model even carrying what looked like a baby dragon from Game of Thrones. According to the brand, the dragon was ‘inspired by the “Legend of the baby dragon in the jar,” the real story of an author who staged finding a baby dragon in his garage in Oxfordshire, England.’
Dozens more models sported more Yankees logos, turbans, and unflattering 80s frames, but most just piled on layer after layer of clashing prints and colors. All in all, the effect was of a bunch of kids let loose in a thrift store, dressing up in as many crazy pieces as they could find.
The show, which was aptly called ‘Cyborg,’ was quite clearly about mixing and melding clashing parts to make a new whole.
What to buy? It is unclear which pieces will actually be produced for sale
What’s next? The longer you look at each outfit, the more strangeness there is to see
Look over here! The designer was clearly to looking to make the biggest statement in Milan