It was clear from the moment it went down the Milan runway: Gucci’s fall 2011 collection came down to two gender-based themes. One model would strut in tailored wide leg trousers, a silk blouse and some brightly coloured outerwear that was perhaps snakeskin, perhaps fur, or even a pairing of both. A masculine fedora might sit firmly atop her head, never tipped too jauntily. Next might a model sashay out in a piece from the feminine part of the collection: the silk blouse now extending to the floor into a floating dress of vibrant colour, sometimes sheer, sometimes with a plunging neckline or high slit to really cement its sex appeal.
In a shoot for Elle Spain starring Australian Jess Hart, both the masculine-inspired and the feminine parts of Gucci’s collection are represented. Here, though, the 70s meets 40s tones are subdued under a wholly modern, effortless hairstyle.
And that’s perhaps the best takeaway from the shoot; how to play down a collection like Gucci’s, with those earthy and rich tones, contrasting textures, and costume-like clash of eras, into an easy modern look.
To view the rest of Jess Hart in Elle Spain, click on the thumbnails.
