Everything you need to know about Gucci Cruise 2017

London. The sky is grey outside, but inside the old stone walls of Westminster Abbey, a rainbow made of clothes, prints and fabrics signed Gucci explodes for the presentation of the brand’s Cruise 2017 collection.

After Dior, England is home to another major style event. Here's everything you need to know about it:

Where

"I chose Westminster Abbey because everyone has this idea of London being cool, but for me the history is what's really cool". So Alessandro Michele explains to Vogue.co.uk the choice of this Gothic building of the XI century as his Cruise show location. Here is where many English kings were crowned and buried, but also poets, philosophers and politicians come to life in the clothes of Gucci’s latest collection. For the first time a fashion brand occupies England’s most famous Abbey, especially its cloisters, once used by monks for meditation.

Who

At the same place and on the same day, 63 years ago, 8,000 guests attended the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. Today, another kind of spectators were waiting to see the Alessandro Michele’s work. Sitting on emerald green needlepoint pillows embroidered with different animals, which will turn out to be lovely souvenirs, there are journalists, celebrities and it-girls.

There are Soko, who narrates the event on Snapchat, and next to her Charlotte Casiraghi in a mini blue tartan dress, Alexa Chung in pink as well as Elle Fanning, Salma Hayek, Georgia May Jagger, Veronika Heilbrunner, Tatiana Santo Domingo Casiraghi, A$AP Rocky, Belle Powley, Carine Rotfeld, Susie Bubble, Bryan Boy.

Among the models who walk the 30-meter catwalk, while Schola Cantorum sings the traditional British ballad Scarborough Fair, there is an amazing Erin O'Connor in a black and red tea dress with polka dots.

What

"I wanted to pay homage to England, where I arrived at 17 years old – says Alessandro Michele – and I immediately loved London, I wanted to move here right away. I have imagined all the most iconic women, from Queen Victoria to Elizabeth II, through Wallis Simpson and a literate as Aphra Behn. This Cruise collection is for me as an archaeological work, always with the strong idea that fashion comes from the street. In London you can always draw so many inspirations”.

The British aesthetic, its eccentricity, which knows how to merge contemporary and past, punk and tea time, in the hands of Gucci’s designer becomes an imaginary and imaginative universe of clothing, populated by cats, bees, snakes, tigers, sequins, rainbows, stripes, ruffles, flowers, pearls, Union Jacks. It's "an archaeological work" looking at street style, and as the latter, it stratifies stories. This is how the 96 looks of the collection were born. There are fur coats decorated by peacocks or snakes, romantic blouses, maxi dresses invaded by prints, tartan midi skirts, British suits, T-shirts with the Blind for Love slogan, turbans, platforms and rainbow loafers.

Everything is redundant, baroque, sometimes dissonant, but perfect. Wrong but right. This is the Michele’s magic: mixing inspirations, decorations, different details in a unique and personal way, creating a visual orgy you can’t stop watching. It's like staring at the sun without being able to look away even though you know you shouldn’t do it.

Backstage

The adventure begins with an invitation in the form of a vintage stereoscope, and continues with a welcome dinner at Sexy Fish, Asian Fusion food restaurant in which you can admire art works by Frank Gehry and Damien Hirst.

During the show, an unexpected accessory comes out: a pair of headphones with the iconic double G designed in collaboration with will.i.am.