Gucci by John Ray: A Fundamental Change
By Michelle Taylor
Photos by Giovanni Pucci

MILAN, Jan 20, 2005/ FW/ --- Tuesday night in Milan, Gucci’s John Ray made a fundamental change with the Gucci look by taking away the high sexual energy of the label and replacing it with a saner, aristocratic look that is of course still very sensuous.

Ray who worked alongside Tom Ford in the Florentine label for 8 years is taking the label into new direction as he breaks away from his former boss. And truth be told, it is really time for a change, as the world gets deeper into the 21st century.

Choosing luxurious fabrics such as vicuna, astrakhan, seal, alpaca and mink, the whole collection is about the young European aristocrats of today. Think British and Western Europe. As Princes William and Harry come of age, so do their peers among the royals and nobility.

The silver gray series of jackets, slouchy pants and silk socks will be a hit among this crowd – young, suave, chivalrous and stylish.

One question comes to mind though. Has John Ray been carried away with the neoconservative trend that is sweeping the Milan shows this season? Or, has the Scottish-born designer finally decided to put his “mark” on the label.

Whatever the answer is, John Ray definitely made the right move.

Gucci by John Ray

Gucci by John Ray

Gucci by John Ray