Gucci channels Elton John at Milan shows

(ANSA) - Milan, September 21 - Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele's avant-garde take on fashion has opened Milan fashion week with inspirations ranging from Elton John's stage wear to Bugs Bunny and Heidegger's take on authenticity.
    Michele's call for next spring is an "instigation to do things differently", the designer said Wednesday.
    And his "multiple show" with women and men strutting down the catwalk included a hybrid of emotions and cultures to show how the contemporary draws inspiration from multiple storylines of the past.
    Michele's aesthetic went glam rock with a capsule collection dedicated to Elton John, whose hits include the pop song Rocket Man.
    Key pieces ranged from jumpsuits to power-shouldered jackets.
    Male models also went down the catwalk with a shirt and tie, shorts and a waistcoat with an image of Bugs Bunny, black capes, bomber jackets and lace pants.
    Women's looks were inspired by dreamy ice-skating costumes with tulle and crystals, 1980s-style skirts and suits and long pleated dresses with military details.
    Yet for all the innovative spirit that has turned Michele into a fashion star since his solo debut in 2015, the designer has relaunched the brand's identity with a core esthetic that has remained stable season after season.
    And the new collection also remained faithful to the new Gucci aesthetic, which embraces slim-fit trouser suits and dresses, 1970s inspirations, a recurrent Disney theme, rainbow stripes, flowers and geeky glasses, among others.
    Accessories have also embraced tradition with new spins on Gucci classic loafers and bags that have made the Florentine house's tradition, giving the label's bestsellers a long shelf life.
    Milan fashion week previews for spring-summer 2018 women's wear will feature 159 collections through September 25.
    This edition of Milan fashion week will see the fashion chamber promoting sustainability in the trend-driven sector with 11 prizes to be awarded Sunday to Italian designers and brands that promote traditional craftsmanship, green investments, responsible management and innovation.
    Livia Firth, wife of actor Colin Firth, will be presiding over the first Green Fashion Awards in a ceremony organized in a garden set up in Piazza La Scala.