Obsessed | Gucci Pre-Fall 2016 | The Fashion Barbie

Gucci Pre-Fall 2016

Is it really a big surprise that I, Lindsey, lover of all things whimsical and over-the-top, am obsessed with Gucci now that Alessandro Michele has taken over and breathed new life into the storied brand? What was before very much about sex appeal and sultriness is now about a love of clothing and dressing for oneself, and I for one couldn't be happier. Michele's Gucci reads like the dream wardrobe for Luna Lovegood or Edie Bouvier Beale (two of my fashion icons, as you probably know). Cat-eye sunglasses, actual cat sweatshirts (are they ironic or so unironic that they are in fact ironic?), bird motifs, and so many clashing prints that it shouldn't work, but somehow it all does.

For Pre-Fall 2016, Michele showed a whopping 82 looks in a Pompeian Villa, connecting a plethora of historical references to the far past, and yet somehow making it all feel modern. There were Medieval and Art Deco decorative motifs, 50s glasses and beatnik styles, 60s go-go boots and mod influences, 70s denim, and 80s silk bomber jackets, all swirling and mixing together to make something that is so perfect for the 2016 girl.

Perhaps what I love most of all is that while it initially appears that Michele is catering to a very specific group of women, upon further reflection one can see how so many of these pieces could be worn by a number of "styles" of women. When mixed together in this rather particular styling, the collection speaks to a vintage-loving, Man Repeller follower with a brooch collection and a penchant for wearing berets, but individually these clothes can be utterly transformed by the wearer in order to suit her needs and particular style. Because when you get right down to it, the new Gucci is all about individuality, taking these pieces and reinventing them for oneself in order to express one's own sense of style and self.

I love what Michele is doing, and I don't think I'm the only one.