In Milan, Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele gave a press conference at a vintage clothing store. Surprise announcement? A new collection called “HA HA HA” which he co-designed with pop star and fashion muse, Harry Styles. (Speaking of which: Harry Styles: These 10 Songs That Shaped His Career — And You Should Know Them Too)
The 25-look collection is a mix of clothes the two friends love to wear – Michele calls the collection her “dream wardrobe”. The designer says the collaboration grew out of years of conversations on the phone, over WhatsApp and over glasses of wine (on the rare occasion that the two were in the same city). “It started when two kids just wanted to play,” he said, adding that Harry Styles x Gucci “started to take shape about a year ago.” The garments took shape through mutual creative exchanges rather than formal design meetings. “It’s more about life, you know? Because when you meet someone in a very personal way, there’s not really a right way to do something. It’s something that happens,” says Michele. (Read more: Adidas x Gucci: An in-depth look at the collaboration’s boots)
“HA HA HA” is Gucci and Harry Styles’ most intense collaboration to date. The 28-year-old has already appeared in Gucci campaigns and often wears the label privately. But Styles isn’t just a celebrity with an endorsement deal: his enthusiasm for the brand and his admiration for Michele are genuine. When the two met, Styles was a teenager who had just left One Direction to pursue a solo career, and Michele had just taken over Gucci. “We grew up together,” says Michele, who credits Styles with helping him find his youthful side again. In recent years, Styles has become nothing less than the public embodiment of Michele’s sensitive, gender-neutral vision, and his interest in clothing has only deepened. The only thing Styles had left to do at Gucci was design his own collection. “The level that Harry has reached now is a high level of recognition for this profession,” said Michele. In other words, it’s not a scam.
Michele’s ’70s silhouettes form the backbone of the collection, which features flared flared pants that mainstream insight can only attribute to the styles. Styles, on the other hand, “brought himself,” according to Michele. “He has a very sophisticated way of being a man.” The result is very personal, a collection that Michele describes as “private and very comfortable”. Basically, the capsule collection is a hybrid of their wardrobes. (Also read: 10 Men’s Fashion Trends in Summer 2022)