New Gucci man moves to disco dancefloor

MILAN - Purple silk shirts and clinging hipster trousers injected a dose of Gucci disco glamour into fashion week today as designer Frida Giannini tapped the archives for her first menswear collection.

A carousel of designers has been dressing the Gucci man since Tom Ford left after a management row in 2004, and Giannini's task is to find a trademark look for the house -- something Ford easily achieved with his sleek-and-sexy clothes.

"The challenge has already started. It's to create a single vision for menswear and womenswear, to bring the two together and make them homogenous," Giannini told Reuters after the show.

Giannini sent out an army of disco babes in mini-dresses for autumn and winter 2006, and today's menswear offered a matching look for their boyfriends.

In spring and summer 2007, the Gucci girl's companion will wear tight lilac low-slung trousers with a raspberry-pink silk shirt, or white pinstripe jackets with black pinstripe ankle-length trousers.

Brown suede jackets with applique details, big python leather bags and suede caps brought in some of the sporty style that has been a dominant theme this fashion week.

"The spirit is that of a globetrotter who might jet between London, New York and Capri, but all with a great nonchalance," Giannini said.

Apart from finding a post-Ford direction, Giannini has also had to come up with a collection strong enough to prevent customers from defecting to Gucci's former star designer: Ford is launching his own super-luxury menswear line.

Digging into the Gucci archives has helped her before, most notably when she used an old floral print to create the best-selling Flora handbag.

But the nod to tradition has also drawn some sneers from fashion critics who want Giannini to get out of the archive and launch something truly new.

- REUTERS