RUNWAY: Gucci SS19

Set in an old theatre atop Montmartre in Paris, Alessandro Michele's latest collection for Gucci had a sense of depravity, maybe from the ill-fitting Gucci-fied briefs or the leather jockstrap affixed over the opening men's look. Regardless, it was like these clothes had the hauntings of the same sort of 70s wild nightlife that this theatre saw when Lagerfeld, Saint Laurent and more used to frequent it in that decade. There were the requisite pattern-heavy, gender-fluid designs while the iconic Gucci motif appeared in various tones on a flared suit, almost in defiant protest that seems to be gaining momentum in menswear: no more labeling. Who'll win that fight is yet to be seen but Michele, as always, puts up a strong case for why his signature branding.