The one that comes to mind almost immediately when thinking of Gucci: the ad starring Carmen Kass (even though we don’t see her face), who has the Gucci “G” shaved into her pubic hair. One trend that we are seeing as of late is the so-called “gender blur” of fashion ads, and the inspiration behind this turn towards the less overly sexual is maybe the most interesting aspect, as its source is not singular in nature. In fact, it seems to vary a bit per brand; thereby, allowing us to take a real look into this recently revived mode of selling fashion. In fact, ads are not becoming gender blur at all. Instead, our idea of what is sexy is just being reinvisioned by fashion influencers like Michele and Céline’s Phoebe Philo, among others. It is here where big brands, like Gucci, seem to struggle, an adapting to rapidly shifting tides in consumer tastes and shopping habits as a younger generation of luxury goods buyers have changed the state of the market, namely by changing what is desirable. One of those things: the way they define a sexy woman and like it or not for big houses like Gucci, that is not the same way as it was viewed in the relatively recent past.
