Gucci used their cruise 2020 presentation in Rome’s Musei Capitolini to make a stand against the anti-abortion sentiments and laws taking over the US at the moment.
The key pieces are a silk empire waist gown carries an embroidered uterus while “My Body, My Choice” is emblazoned on the back of a blue blazer. There is also a jacket with the date “22.5.78” which was when Italy established a statute “for the social protection of motherhood and the voluntary interruption of pregnancy.”
Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci, spoke to WWD further about his pro-choice ideals. “It’s unbelievable that around the world there are still people who believe that they can control a woman’s body, a woman’s choice. I will always stand behind the freedom of being, always.”
Other pieces in the collection took inspiration from the past with togas and robes, mixed in with Mickey Mouse sweaters and other eccentric pieces which go with the look the brand has embodied for the past few seasons. The show saw Elton John, Zoe Saldana, A$AP Rocky, Salma Hayek, and Harry Styles as front row guests.
This month, Alabama passed an anti-abortion bill that doesn’t give exemptions to victims of rape and incest. This adds to the list of states which have moved for similar laws including Louisiana, Georgia, Ohio, and Missouri this year.
Celebrities, including Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Travis Scott, and Chris Evans, have taken to social media to express their disgust over these laws. Ilana Glazer, co-creator of Broad City, moved her current production away from Georgia. Netflix released a statement against the anti-abortion laws, threatening to pull out their projects from Georgia once they are implemented.
Gucci’s political stand on the catwalk coincides with their Chime for Change campaign, created in 2013 as a platform for gender equality. Its co-founders are Salma Hayek Pinault and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter with founding partners Kering Foundation, Hearst Magazines, Facebook, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Photo courtesy of @gucci
Travis Scott pledges merch profits, Emily Ratajkowski poses nude to counter anti-abortion sentiments