Catcalls on the catwalk drive out Ford's successor at Gucci
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Your support makes all the difference.It is the luxury label adored by some of the most glamorous women in the world. But less than a year after the departure of its celebrity designer, Tom Ford, the Gucci fashion house, favoured by Madonna, Victoria Beckham and a line of "It" girls, is facing an identity crisis.
It is the luxury label adored by some of the most glamorous women in the world. But less than a year after the departure of its celebrity designer, Tom Ford, the Gucci fashion house, favoured by Madonna, Victoria Beckham and a line of "It" girls, is facing an identity crisis.
Yesterday Ford's replacement, Alessandra Facchinetti, quit after just two collections following persistent criticism that she had failed to breathe new life into the brand.
Citing a "disagreement with management", Facchinetti parted company with Gucci two weeks after her most recent catwalk show in Milan drew scathing reviews.
Before her debut show in September, Facchinetti, 32, had promised to bring out a new feminine aspect to the hard-edged, 1970s-style vamp which was Ford's muse at Gucci. However, Ford continued to cast a long shadow over her catwalk. Although she added embellishments such as fringing or rose embroideries to the signature body-conscious look, Facchinetti failed to push it into fresh territory.
Frida Giannini, 32, one of three little-known designers who were promoted from Ford's own studios last year, was named yesterday as her replacement.
In the wake of Ford's departure, Gucci executives set out to replace the single figurehead-designer format, introducing a "team" approach with Giannini as accessories designer, John Ray, a Scotsman, at menswear and Facchinetti at womenswear. The "team" approach now seems to have been scuppered.
Giannini has already proved a success for Gucci - producing the "Flora" collection of floral-printed shoes and bags which has been a very profitable global success for the company. "Since joining Gucci more than two years ago, Frida has displayed extraordinary creative talents and leadership qualities," said Mark Lee, president of Gucci.
"The positive response to the accessories collections Frida designed attest to these strengths."
Giannini has a challenge before her. Ford created a Gucci identity inseparable from his own taste - before he created a sexy brand identity for the company in the 1990s, the label was just another flashy accessories house known for suede loafers. But the second-skin satin trousers and cleavage-revealing slinky dresses that were at the core of the Ford-era look have fallen out of step with the romantic mood prevailing in fashion. When she presents her first collection this summer, Giannini will be expected to maintain the Gucci signature - while reflecting changing trends.
When Ford left Gucci last year after a boardroom coup, Serge Weinberg, who was behind Gucci's "team" design strategy, commented that he thought it unnecessary for a brand to be led by a single designer. In response, Ford fired back: "A lot of people who buy Gucci don't know who I am. That isn't the point. There is a point of view, there is a focus, and that's what comes from the designer."
WHAT THE CRITICS SAID
"Is it a compliment or the kiss of death to say that every sexy, skinny, skittish number in Gucci's show on Wednesday would look a treat on Victoria Beckham?... It is frustrating to see Facchinetti's Gucci going nowhere."
Suzy Menkes, The International Herald Tribune, 24 February
"Barely halfway through Alessandra Facchinetti's show for Gucci, the mind began to wander from the catwalk to the more mundane events of one's life. When the raciest label in fashion can't compete with the prospect of a pizza, you know it's in trouble ... Gucci is an international brand, and Ms Facchinetti's vision is a small-frame one."
Cathy Horyn, The New York Times, 25 February
"Despite being womenswear director for four years under Ford, Facchinetti will always suffer from comparisons to her former boss. Her second collection may have ticked all the boxes for Gucci customers, but it blithely ignored the latest trends in fashion."
Clare Coulson, The Daily Telegraph, 24 February
"There were plenty of desirable pieces but also a predictability that Tom Ford would probably have avoided."
Lisa Armstrong, The Times, 24 February
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