The Year of the Double G
By Donatella Mancinone
Walking around the busy city streets of Boston, there is a lot of scenery for the eyes to take in, especially for a new resident like myself. I look up; the beautiful lights are hugging the trees on Newbury Street. I look down; my brand new winter boots are stomping across the unexplored ground beneath me. Lastly, I find my eyes glancing straight ahead at the crowd coming towards me. Wrapped around their waists, I see the infamous Double G. Is it true? Are they all wearing… Gucci?!
Image courtesy of Architectural Digest
It seems like everywhere you look, someone is wearing a Gucci belt, Ace trainers, the GG Marmont shoulder bag. This simple ‘slap the logo on a basic item’ mentality is leading Gucci to a major comeback. It is unorthodox to have customers pay nearly $500 for a basic white t-shirt with the word “GUCCI” written on it, but they are still being sold at a rapid pace. To fully grasp the situation at hand, I decided to take a trip to the Gucci store in Copley Place. Walking around the store it is clear that creative director Alessandro Michele has worked hard to change the face of this brand. With vibrant colors and unconventional looks, each display was rather simple so as to not take away from the piece of art it was holding. I strode through the entrance and was staggered by the excessive use of the Gucci logo. Then it hit me; Gucci is not the only brand doing this. I looked down at the woman next to me — were those Fila sneakers?
The relatively large logo on the front of the belt perfectly follows along with the ‘90s fashion. The ‘90s were full of graphic t-shirts, stonewashed jeans, Doc Martens, high top sneakers, tiny backpacks, cat eye sunglasses, fanny packs, scrunchies and white sneakers, to name a few. Evidently, ‘90s fashion is illuminating in the late 2010’s. Today, designer brands are catching on to this ‘’90s is the new black’ attitude. It is difficult to miss all of these fashion trends when walking down Newbury Street, but yet again the Gucci belt dominates the fashion industry for herds of urban fashionistas. But why?
As the use of the logo is making a comeback in fashion with brands such as Gucci, Calvin Klein, Levi’s, and Tommy Hilfiger, there is no question that the Gucci belt has fueled its brand’s comeback. According to Business Insider, in April of 2018, “Gucci’s parent company Kering SA reported a 48.7 percent jump in same-store sales during the first quarter of 2018.” The basic belt with a width of 1.5” runs for $450, and $350 for a width of 0.8”. Essentially, this statement accessory can be worn with jeans from Walmart and still appear trendy.
Photo courtesy of Who What Wear
A majority, if not all, millennials and teens appear on social media, but this isn’t news to anyone. Running a so-called ‘successful’ social media page is all about the aesthetic. Today, many are turning to Instagram to create an entire page of someone’s identity, or at least what they want outsiders to think of them. Essentially, social media allows someone to create an image of themself. Because it is a relatively “Instagram-able” article of clothing, the Gucci belt’s appearance on posts demands recognition. In addition to its unique and simple design, there is an unbelievable list of icons who have been spotted sporting this hip accessory, such as Jennifer Aniston, Chrissy Teigen, Kendall Jenner, and Kourtney Kardashian.
With this statement accessory comes status. The brass finished logo is large and essentially begging to be seen, which is quite obvious on my walk in the city; I notice all of the Express sweaters tucked into this lavish logo. I am now coming to the end of my walk on Newbury street, lights glimmering, boots still clunking away. I feel a sense of breaking from the ordinary; I feel different, free. I now look down onto myself, and what is that I see? I’ll give you one hint, it is not the Double G.
