MILAN - Gucci designer Frida Giannini took to the snow slopes for the theme of her first winter menswear collection at the brand on Tuesday, using fur to wrap up jackets and putting chunky knits in winter creams and forest greens.
In a break from the black themedominating other big names this week, Giannini brought in maroon, navy and bright red to bring warmth and colour to her grey stone catwalk.
"The inspiration for the show was the idea of the lifestyle in ski resorts like Gstaad, St Moritz," Giannini told Reuters after the show.
"Colours for me are always very important."
Models wore leopard print hooded short parkas or a longer version in maroon leather lined with soft, strokeable fur.
Tailored short suit jackets in muted checks were decked with fur lapels and collars and the check picked out with a cosy, high-necked heavy knit jumper underneath.
Giannini, dressed in black with her copper hair held back in a pony tail, looked happy and relaxed after the 20 minute show.
She is the latest in a string of designers to dress the Gucci man since Tom Ford left the label in 2004 after a management row.
Gucci treated its audience of over 1000 buyers and journalists to grey fur covered benches in its slate-walled space after welcoming them in the lobby with a four-flame fireplace in the centre of its cream carpeted floor.
A stylised coat of arms on the wall proved, at closer look, to be a knight with visor and helmet carrying shopping bags.
Giannini picked up that sense of fun for accessories to the collection, giving jackets a feather-trimmed fob for the breast pocket or adding fringing to soft suede boots.
For evening wear, she moved the mood to the chalet and subverted straight black jackets with black lurex sweaters - a sophisticated On Her Majesty's Secret Service look that got the backing of a James Bond and Roxy Music soundtrack.
