Bohemian Rhapsody — Gucci Resort 2016

Though resort and pre-fall are technically in-between, less-important seasons than the main two (spring and fall) it feels like more and more attention is being paid to the pre-collections. In return, resort and pre-fall shows have become exciting chances for designers to engage their customers and the fashion world once more rather than a few weeks of quiet presentations and posed lookbook collections.

With the top fashion brands, designers are going to great lengths to make sure their resort collections do not go quietly into that good night, putting on elaborate destination fashion shows that in many ways exceed their main season runway show counterparts in terms of extravagance and excess. And now, under the new creative reigns of Alessandro Michele, Gucci is following in the footsteps of other brands by placing a heightened importance on pre-collections.

Stars of Hollywood and the fashion world gathered in a New York art gallery to watch Michele's second collection for Gucci unfold. I personally was a huge fan of his designing debut back in February, but I think many people were shocked by the huge departure from the Gucci aesthetic that we had all grown to know and love during Frida Giannini's tenure and needed some time to warm up to Michele's own style. If the resort show is any indication, however, the same off-kilter, bohemian, retro vibes that permeated the Fall 2015 show are here to stay at Gucci.

Some of my favorite looks from the Gucci Resort 2016 collection via style.com

The main style inspirations? The 60s and 70s continue to be major motifs here, with rich colors, mod shapes, and retro accessories (cat-eye glasses, anyone?). I also saw some major Grey Gardens vibes, as well as both Americana and Far East influences. And as was the case with the fall show, Michele is very interested in androgyny and blurring the lines between masculine and feminine dressing. The Gucci girl is too cool to be confined to gender stereotypes and expectations surrounding her clothes.

The Gucci girl is shaping up to be a unique flower, the kind of girl who works in a used bookstore and one day discovers a magical tome that sends her on a daring adventure across seas and to secret places. She's eclectic and really into vintage stores, but she is also ready to stand out from the crowd.

There's no doubt that editors, buyers, and street style stars alike are going to flock to these clothes. They're interesting and unique enough to catch the eye of a reader or viewer, but they are also cool things to wear. I, for one, am excited to see how Alessandro Michele's version of Gucci impacts the future of fashion. I think we are finally getting over the muted-colored minimalism of late. Michele may bring us forward into a new era of maximalism and extravagance.

See the full collection here.

More favorites via style.com

What did you think of the Gucci Resort 2016 collection?