Gucci: John Ray’s Homage To The 1970s
By Michelle Taylor
Photos by Giovanni Pucci

MILAN, Jul 27, 2004/ FW/ --- There is life after Tom Ford at Gucci as John Ray, Creative Director for the label’s menswear line proposed a 1970s inspired collection of caftans and silken tuxedos that was a mixture of the hippie era and a more formal yet relaxed looks from the disco era.

Scottish-born John Ray joined the Florentine label in 1996 worked for eight years with Tom Ford. He was the first among the three successors of the Texan designer who stepped down from his post at Gucci last April. The demands were great, but John Ray was all grace under pressure.

Choosing a relaxed look in comparison to the turbo-charged and sexy silhouettes of his predecessor, John Ray’s Gucci gent frees himself from the rigorous style of dressing for men.

Is that the reason why he added butterflies in the collection, a subliminal reminder of the 1970s movie, “Butterflies Are Free,” starring Goldie Hawn and Edward Albert? The butterfly was seen as prints on shirts and as a decorative element on a suit jacket. Or was it his way of ‘freeing’ Gucci from the image that Tom Ford created?

But the look is totally Gucci, the Gucci that Tom Ford made famous. From the monogrammed swimsuits to the white pinstriped suit, there was no apparent change in direction of the label, except for the butterflies that looked out of synch with the rest.

The ethnic caftans, the knitted sweaters and cardigans, the slightly flared pants and straight-legged jeans can easily capture the attentions of Gucci fans.

Yet, as Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune said, “Tills will jingle, but spines don’t tingle.” The collection has a lot of merits and considering that everything is being compared to Tom Ford’s vision of the brand, John Ray held his own.

But the high-energy feel was gone. Maybe John Ray wanted it that way, a slow waltz away from his former boss. He took it down a notch proposing a relaxed look. And that was probably his statement this season.

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