Gucci 1996 by Mario Testino

Sometimes, seldom, a collection, image or item so perfectly embodies a cultural moment that the most appropriate descriptor is the overused “iconic.” Tom Ford’s velvet tuxedo for Gucci (F/W 1996) was one such rarity. A culmination of the designer’s tenure at the Italian house, with two traditional garments and one familiar fabric Ford contextualized ’80s power dressing, postmodern grunge and ’90s minimalism, giving rise to an overtness that would rule the decade to come. The suit was authoritative and unfussy, and ostentatious only in its unabashed sexiness – it revealed just enough and left us wanting more.

Gucci’s new women’s fragrance, Guilty, taps into this provocative heritage. Though the geometric bottle and austere use of the house’s signature interlocking Gs carry the distinct stamp of current creative director Frida Giannini, the ample skin revealed in the corresponding print campaign harkens back to the raw sensuality evoked by Ford’s tuxedo. Appropriately then, the brand describes the fragrance as “about breaking social conventions and the feeling that you can attain whatever you want.”

The Guilty video—directed by Frank Miller and starring Evan Rachel Wood—promises to be equally seductive, capturing the zeitgeist of an entirely different era. Due for release on September 12th at the MTV Video Music Awards, a preview is currently available on YouTube, running concurrent with a competition offering a Gucci shopping spree and trip to the awards.

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