Gucci launches Vault vintage site during Milan Fashion Week

Fashion houses trying to figure out how to reach new eyeballs after the long ordeal of the pandemic have centered around a singular idea: collaborations.

Many are doing it, in big ways and small. Gucci, which famously “hacked” Balenciaga last season, is now launching an e-commerce site showcasing refurbished vintage Gucci products and capsule collections by young designers. Hatmaker Borsalino is collaborating with the French brand Ami Paris and the equestrian-inspired brand Acheval.

If the fashion industry is going to change, now is the moment, say insiders — even if the temptation to go back to old habits is great.

Highlights from the fourth day of the Milan runway show Saturday for next spring and summer:

Gucci on Saturday launched an e-commerce site featuring refurbished vintage Gucci pieces alongside capsule collections by young designers chosen by Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele.

Michele said the project was born out of his life-long obsession with collecting fashion, including Gucci items before he ever joined the brand.

“Yes, I do this work to tell stories. But I also do it because I truly love objects,” he told reporters in Milan.

The young designers featured included London-based Priya Ahluwalia. Of Nigerian and Indian descent, Ahluwalia’s upcycled collections have already found a broad audience ranging from sports figures like Lewis Hamilton to middle-aged hipsters.

“Completely out of the blue, I got a message from Gucci. I thought it was an advertisement or spam,” Ahluwalia said. “When I realized it was real, I was extremely happy.”

Michele said the brand has a vast network of sources for vintage Gucci, which it has been tapping to rebuild its archive. The launch includes a white Jackie bag meticulously cared for by its previous owner that he wanted to keep for himself.

Then, laughing, he said, “Who knows, maybe I will log on tonight and buy it myself!”

Gucci has stepped away from the Milan Fashion Week calendar, finding its own rhythms. Its next show is Nov 3 in Los Angeles, coinciding with the 10th LACMA Art — Film Gala, which Gucci is sponsoring.