Gucci did not shy away from turning its 100th birthday celebrations into the event(s) of the year. The Gucci Aria collection unveiled in April, the Love Parade on Los Angeles’ legendary Hollywood Boulevard, and the release of the House of Gucci movie starring Lady Gaga and Adam Driver were only some of this year’s highlights.
Gucci started its journey when Guccio Gucci opened his own store in Florence, Italy in 1921, selling imported leather luggage and other luxury leather goods (mainly equestrian hardware) made by local artisans. The brand grew to open stores in New York, Paris and London, and eventually became known all over the world as an icon of the Italian Dolce Vita. Today, it is one of the most successful luxury fashion houses and celebrated its 100th year of existence in 2021.
If you live in Berlin, London or Milan, you might have been able to experience the celebrations first hand, visiting one of the temporary spaces Gucci set up in these cities – Gucci Circolo.
Located in a historic building in the heart of Berlin, Gucci Circolo Berlin was set up to be explored as a narrative journey through the various chapters of the Aria collection. Visitors entered the space by walking the catwalk of the Aria fashion show, which had been recreated with cameras flashing at the entrance. The journey continued with a listening lounge foregrounding Gucci's long-standing connection with music, a café area, and a display of pieces from the Gucci 100 collection. Visitors ended their tour with a presentation of The Hacker Project through a succession of different extravagant settings. Gucci’s major competitor has been Balenciaga for a long time, and the houses recently joined forces to release this co-branded collection. Gucci Circolo displayed pieces packed with horse-riding references while featuring Balenciaga’s most iconic silhouettes.
Although 2021 has undeniably been the year of Gucci, there is a lot more to look forward to in the future. Never has it been more important to highlight and support rising designers than it is now. So here are 3 up-and-coming designers and their labels to check out for a new obsession:
Klaudia Przewoźniak
Photos by Marta Surovy
Klaudia Przewoźniak was born in Poland. Her hometown of Bielsko-Biała, located at the foot of the Beskids, has a huge impact on her nature-inspired collections in which she often combines art with geometry. She recently graduated from the International School of Costume & Clothing Design (MSKPU) with the diploma collection “The Sadness of Arrogance”. The collection was inspired by the elements of nature and “people's arrogance towards the environment”. Klaudia says, “We as humans ignore nature, its dangers, and destroy it at the same time. We behave arrogantly towards it, ignoring what it gives us and ignoring the dangers of the elements.” The two painted fabrics used for the collection (olive brown for earth and dark blue for water) are GOTS certified and painted with ecological acrylic colours. The rest of the fabrics are fabric scraps sold on fabric slopes.
For more of her designs, have a look at Klaudia’s Instagram profile @klaudia.przewozniak.
Alexandra Fuks
Alexandra Fuks showed interest in fine arts since her childhood, attended art school, and at 16 turned her attention to fashion, sewing and experimental processing of leather. After studying tailoring and pattern making and winning multiple design competitions, she founded her own label in 2016. She creates intricate designs that resemble a warrior’s armour, wanting any woman wearing her clothes to feel invincible. Alexandra says, “Society demands from us no less than from men in a professional sense, but at the same time demands from us to remain a lover, mother and homemaker. There are women who really cope with all of this. And I am a big fan of these strong women, who, no matter what, did not lose the ability to show their weakness and sensuality.”
Have a look at Alexandra’s collections on her website www.alexandra-fuks.com and follow her journey via Instagram @alexandra.fuks.
None Of The Above Studio
None Of The Above Studio is a one-woman show run by Tanja, a 27 year old Dutch fashion designer. After finishing her degree in bespoke tailoring in Amsterdam, she started working different jobs in fashion and eventually ended up in London. She finally seized the opportunity to create her own brand during the first lockdown, making her dream a reality. For each collection, she lets herself be inspired by a different city or country and its culture and history. Tanja likes to discover traditional clothing, myths and traditions and translates those inspirations to her designs. As she designs and sews all the garments herself, there is no overstock. From design to transport, she strives to always go the most sustainable way: recycled packaging, no plastic, and sustainable materials. Because fashion is in the top 3 of the most polluting industries worldwide, Tanja believes sustainability is a topic each brand should have on the top of their list. She says, “I just believe that if we support small local businesses a bit more, we can make the world a better place!”
You can find more of her designs on her Instagram account @noneoftheabove_studio or her website www.noneoftheabovestudio.com.
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