Alessandro Michele talks menswear and Charlotte Casiraghi's Chanel campaign

MICHELE'S REFLECTIONS: "I hate the word unisex," Alessandro Michele said during a talk Monday night at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

His job at Gucci has never been to make unisex clothes. Michele revealed that when it comes to starting a collection, it always starts with a suit, which has always been a binding menswear trope that women have embraced to signal liberation. For him, it's just a garment, without a label.

The Italian luxury house sponsored the museum's first major exhibition on menswear titled "Fashioning Masculinities: The Art of Menswear".

The exhibition is a celebration and dissection of the evolution of menswear from the 17th century to the present day, featuring designs by Gucci and Thom Browne and spotlighting contemporary designers, such as Grace Wales Bonner and Priya Ahluwalia.

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"It means a lot to a young generation," Michele said of the importance of the exhibition to him.

"I am inspired by the things that remain," said Alessandro Michele, creative director of Gucci. Courtesy of Gucci

“Browsing through the pieces that are not just mine, but seeing how powerful the idea of ​​clothing is. That's what moved me a lot."

Michele's eye for fashion has always been costume design and stage presentation. The brand has forged strong relationships with musicians such as Florence Welch, Elton John and Harry Styles, who recently collaborated with Michele on a capsule collection called Gucci Ha Ha Ha, a nod to their initials and the way they sign their messages to each other.

"Music can represent people," Michele said, adding, "They [Styles and John] love experimenting with new clothes and they're exactly how you see them on stage."

Right now, the creator is taking inspiration from looking at less in the world. "I'm inspired by the things that remain," he said.

London is an example of this, as it holds a sentimental place in Michele's life - it was the first place he visited when he...