Ever since Alessandro Michele stepped up to take the reins of Gucci, the front row of its shows has become one of the most star-studded in the industry. From Lou Doillon and A$AP Rocky chewing liquorice side-by-side, to Harry Styles, Jared Leto, and Saoirse Ronan rubbing (Gucci-clad, obvs) shoulders, each presentation reads like a who’s who of who’s cool at any given moment – and the label’s AW20 menswear show, which took place in Milan yesterday, was no different.
On hand to capture the likes of Tyler, The Creator, Anderson .Paak, Earl Cave, and legendary punk iconoclast Richard Hell on the frow this time around was renowned photographer Bruce Gilden, who recently worked on the label’s Pre-Fall campaign. Known for his no-holds-barred approach to photography, which sees subjects left unaltered and unretouched, Gilden’s images are about as far away from the usual glossy photo shoots most celebrities find themselves part of, and are all the more interesting for it.
The photographer also made his way backstage to shoot the models as they sat through make-up and grooming sessions pre-show. “I shot a lot, but there are a few that stand out as my favourites,” explains Gilden, adding that there was a great energy backstage. “One of the first shots I took of a model outside about to eat an orange, and then the shot of the guy having his make-up done when another lady is taking his picture at the same time, when Thomas (de Kluyver) is also in the background. It was also great to see Achille (Lauro, rapper) again, and it was interesting to meet Tyler as well.”
Check out Bruce Gildan’s photos from the AW20 Gucci menswear show above.