Opinion

What Does Gucci “Hacking” Balenciaga Mean for the Future of Fashion?

When two designer brands combine, everyone can win

In a move that shocked some and left others feeling an insatiable craving, Gucci showed its centennial collection, Aria, last week, featuring a slew of fresh pieces alongside others that were familiar but new to the House of Gucci. In what was described not as a collaboration, but as a “hacking”, Alessandro Michele borrowed pieces from Kering sister brand Balenciaga with permission from the House’s creative director Demna Gvasalia.

A Balenciaga bag, the Hourglass, was dressed in classic GG Supreme canvas while various other shapes and wares were mixed and mingled with Gucci’s own House symbols. Rarely do two powerhouse luxury fashion giants join forces, and this collection is set to be arguably one of the most talked about fashion ‘collaborations’ of our time. While a pairing like this one will produce a slew of covetable, limited edition items, at the core a meeting of the minds between two of fashion’s most powerful and influential creative directors has the power to be so much more.

Those visions are reflected not only in their creative offerings but also in their ability to raise questions about our times and its conventions

CEO of Kering François-Henri Pinault spoke to Vogue Runway of the pairing stating, “I have seen how [Alessandro and Demna’s] innovative, inclusive, and iconoclastic visions are aligned with the expectations and desires of people today. Those visions are reflected not only in their creative offerings but also in their ability to raise questions about our times and its conventions.”

The latter is exactly the kind of change that our industry can benefit from with such an unprecedented collection like this one. Both Balenciaga and Gucci have pioneered certain hot button issues like sustainability and gender inclusivity and while this particular duo makes a lot of sense due to both brand’s shared ideals, this partnership also has the power to normalize the sharing of resources and ethics. This can be be extremely beneficial to other brands, but also the industry moving forward. When brand’s partner together, everyone has the potential to win.

This unlikely duo may seem like just another opportunity to create a cult-loving collaboration meant to appeal to both brand’s clientele, bringing in a massive amount of sales, but if you ask me, this undoubtedly will pave the way for the future of fashion.

Call it what you like—a collaboration, a partnership, a hacking, but however you identify it, this partnership has the true potential to benefit our industry moving forward.

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