The mood of the collection is thoughtful and romantic and the clothes are "hard", in a strong way. The collection is very chic, luxurious, formal and rich but in a sharp, simple and modern way.

The structured clothes and new silhouette are not meant for a shy girl, but rather a strong, curvy and very feminine woman. There is a certain sadness in the world at present, so we seek refuge in nostalgic beauty.

This collection has lots of colour and features a muted palette of chartreuse, red, white, brown, ink, pink and nude. There are only three or four completely black outfits.

Stretch shiny silk satin, light stretch silk twill, jersey, nylon taffeta, and leather dominate the collection. There is beaver or printed silver for fur trim used with leather for collars, sleeves and belts. There are also some sequins and embroidery.

This season's emphasis is on the waist, stretch corset belts are seen with some outfits. The clothes involve a high degree of workmanship, every single piece is stitched with a lot embroidery.

It is not couture but, for Gucci, it's more complicated than usual.

There is a collection of coats which are all fitted at the waist and then flare out. The shoulders are high and dramatic with collars that stand up which is quite classic.

Trousers are slim and close to the leg, slightly flaring at the shoe. Skirts are at the knee, and again are fitted at the waist and then flare out.

Gucci man

The Gucci man this season has a certain swagger and sexy macho look. He is quite strong, classic and sporty. The silhouette is long and lean, where pieces are closer to the body than the past seasons.

The pieces are classic but because of the silhouette, the combined pieces becomes contemporary and luxurious in an understated way.

This is not a time to be overtly conspicuous, so we are looking at classic Gucci with subtle touches of the logo.

"Lusty" defines the many different fabrics in this season's collection. Leather, suede, silk cashmere and velvet are all combined with exquisite workmanship, finishing and complex tailoring. Black dominates the whole collection, but red, beige and white are also prominent throughout.

Colour is confined and worn in blocks, for example, an all-black ensemble with a red or camel-coloured jacket.

The same shirt and pants silhouette is repeated in the show but with lots of variation in shape and colour. Knitwear and jackets are slim, while pants are slim through the hips and thighs with a soft and drapey flare.

Most of the collection is shown with a roll-neck where, in fact, it is a T-shirt worn with a scarf tied really tightly around the neck to give that impression. There is also a series of pajamas made with silk.

(Shanghai Star July 3, 2003)