The Gucci Cruise 2018 Menswear Collection Isn’t Bonkers, Its Just Gucci

Alessandro Michele’s tenure so far at Gucci could best be described in one word: more. In the two-and-a-half years since he was named creative director of the Italian label, Michele has brought the house back to white-hot status with an aesthetic that doubles down on more. There’s more color. There’s more fur. There’s more embroidery, appliqués, embellishments, and artisanal touches (sometimes all of the above on the same garment) added to everything from sweatshirts to black tie dinner jackets. It’s also meant more for Gucci’s bottom line, with the brand reporting record sales under Michele’s reign. And Michele, it seems, is never not capable of doing more. Just have a good long scroll through the 93 (93?!?!) looks from his Cruise 2018 men’s collection for the house, some of which were shown in tandem with his women’s line from the same season in May, but most of which are being seen here first. If there’s one thing the lineup of luxury outfits proves, it’s that Michele’s well of ideas shows no signs of drying up anytime soon. To pinpoint a single theme or guiding point for the 93 looks would be to miss the point; Michele excels at mashing up disparate inspirations (royalty, rebel style, and the Renaissance, to name a few) to create outfits you’ve never seen before. But maybe the most exciting thing about this fresh batch of Michele designs is realizing that the silhouettes, colors, and piled-on pieces that were radical by 2015 standards just look right for 2017 (to be clear, a purple foil-esque brocade suit with flared pants isn’t run-of-the-mill by any means). It’s one thing for a designer to get customers excited about opening up their wallets, but it’s quite another (and much bigger) thing to usher in an entirely new aesthetic to the mainstream—and leave them wanting more season after season. See more at GQ.