Death and glitter: Gucci hosts France show in Roman ruins
ARLES, France — Death and the ancient world mingled in the smoky air of Gucci’s 2019 cruise fashion show, where celebrity guests in the southern French city of Arles were transported through time and space to an eerie Roman cemetery.
Singer Elton John, rapper A$AP Rocky and actresses Salma Hayek and Saoirse Ronan were among the spectators at the Italian powerhouse’s itinerant annual spectacle on Wednesday night. Gucci designer Alessandro Michele chose The Alyscamps, the ruins of a Roman necropolis, as his stage.
The location perfectly paid homage to both the house’s Italian roots and its French parent-company, Kering, during a year in which Gucci is celebrating all things French and announced it would skip Milan Fashion Week to show in Paris in the fall.
Michele took full advantage of the dramatic backdrop of stone ruins and tombs during the nighttime presentation. Clouds of smoke blew around church-style candles and mirrored seating as haunting choral music by Monteverdi further set the scene.