18 Jul 2021
Gucci celebrates the Chinese Valentine’s Day festivity for 2021 with unique collection named Gucci Les Pommes, comprising a selection of ready-to-wear and accessories embellished with a playful and romantic apple-and-heart motif. In China, August 14th, the 7th day of the 7th month of the lunar year, is celebrated by lovers to honour a tradition linked to the Qixi Festival. This marks the romantic legend of Niulang and Zhinu (Cowherd and Weaver Girl). The story tells of how their love was forbidden, yet every year on the 7th of the 7th they can reunite for just one day.
For the occasion, a dedicated campaign photographed by Leslie Zhang and directed by Zhuzi, is showing the gradual coming together of boys and girls in Shanghai.
A group of characters starring singer, member of WayV and SuperM Lucas and Chinese supermodel Xiaowen Ju are filmed wearing Gucci Les Pommes pieces, as they walk, lost in their own worlds, headphones on, through a night-time, urban setting, passing beautiful cityscapes, wet, neon-lit pavements and out-of-focus, brightly coloured lights.
The video is filmed using a split screen, with each of the characters occupying one side of the divide. As they progress, it becomes clear that their respective backgrounds are getting similar, and eventually the split screen disappears to reveal them in the same shot. They approach each other and their paths cross, yet they carry on walking, without any acknowledgment that they have noticed one another. At the very last second, before they vanish out of the frame, they turn back and their eyes meet. It is the moment of recognition.
Women’s ready-to-wear includes a number of denim pieces including shorts, a skirt, jacket, shirt, and slim and flared jeans. A technical jersey hooded top with matching track pants or long skirt, knitted tops and cardigans, shorts, shirts, a skirt, a caban, cotton jersey sweatshirts with and without hoods, and multiple cotton jersey T-shirts round out the category. The styles are distinguished by the new apple-and-heart print in various incarnations, sometimes combined with Gucci logos (in sweatshirts and T-shirts), or over the GG monogram (in the technical jersey group and the caban), or as a single patch (in the denim selection). Base colours are often pastels like blue, yellow, peach and pink.
The motif can also be found on men’s ready-to-wear, comprising a red lightweight blouson in duchesse fabric with ‘Loved’ embroidered on the front, bowling sets both in silk and oxford fabric, and a blouson with all-over GG motif alongside a denim shirt. A cardigan, crew-neck jumpers, tracksuit set, cotton sweatshirts, and T-shirts come with a variety of apple/heart and logo treatments.
These pieces are accompanied by a selection of shoes either with the apple-heart motif set on sky blue or pale pink leather effect fabric, or on GG Supreme canvas. The offer includes the Princetown slipper and Jordaan loafer, while the sneaker selection comprises the Gucci Tennis 1977 and Rhyton.
Handbags, luggage and accessories all feature the GG motif combined with the dedicated Gucci Les Pommes pattern. From the Padlock handbag line, a small chain tote, small chain shoulder bag, and small shoulder bag with a bamboo handle complete the selection. In luggage, the range offers small and large totes and a half-moon shoulder bag, small backpack, slim messenger bag and duffle. All handbags and luggage pieces have white leather trim, and the luggage is enriched with an oval leather tag and Interlocking G detail, while nearly all of the handbags have light pink or sky blue leather flaps.
Finally, many accessories such as card cases, wallets, a baseball cap, bucket hat, carré, and ribbon all come in the GG print with the apple-heart motif on top. The carré and ribbon are presented in silk twill while other accessories, including the hats, are made from GG Supreme canvas.
The Gucci Les Pommes comes with its own specially designed packaging. It will be available from July 15th in select Gucci stores.
