As couture fashion week hits in stride in Paris, word on the street is that Gucci designer Frida Giannini is quietly at work on a high-end couture line to boost the label's red carpet visibility.
While the fashion world can often seem like a free-for-all -- wild collaborations, celebrities turned designers, and the like -- haute couture remains one of the few places that remains sacrosanct. To even call one's self a couturier requires approval by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris. It's worth noting, as well, that couture has traditionally been a very French enterprise, though of late it has been the Italians entering the field with labels like Armani's Armani Prive and Versace's Atelier Versace. And it's true, these are the dresses one sees on the red carpet stand-outs at the Oscars, and it would make sense for Gucci to want to tap into that publicity arena -- especially considering the response to Olivia Wilde's shimmering Gucci at the Golden Globes.
WWD reports that the Gucci collection would not show on the runway -- a disappointment, to be sure, since the couture runways are some of the most spectacular to watch -- and that the collection would be available on a by-appointment basis for specific buyers, along with the brand's red carpet demands, of course.
