Gucci’s Alessandro Michele combines women’s and menswear in a riot of flora and fauna

It was like looking through the giant windows of a futuristic palm house into a wondrous botanical world, with animals and flowers printed, woven, embroidered or knitted and worn in eclectic combinations by willowy models.Alessandro Michele indulged his love for flora and fauna, which included his signature bee on leather bags and biker jackets.

It was a new season, a new venue and a new format for Gucci, which showed men’s and womenswear together (all 120 looks) for the first time in Gucci’ s new headquarters. It wasn’t a surprise given the gender fluidity of previous collections, which remains unchanged judging by the floral hosiery, wild flower print tailoring, embroideries on a city coat, and sparkly wrestler’s leotards.

The invitation was a vinyl record with the message on the cover ‘What are we going to do with all this future?’ Florence Welch, Michele’s muse, and A$AP Rocky read texts from William Blake and Jane Austen on the tracks. Welch sat in the front row with Jared Leto and Chris Lee.

There were references to Alexander McQueen in both the huge glass hothouse set with the ever changing coloured lights evocative of early McQueen theatrical spectacles, right down to the head covering sparkly silver catsuits.