Giannini Takes Gucci Mens, Ray Out
WWD reports that Gucci Menswear designer John Ray has handed in his resignation as design director. Claiming his decision is based on personal reasons. Gucci Group will announce today that Womenswear designer Frida Giannini will take over as the menswear director post. This is a familiar situation for the Gucci Group. Giannini replaced Alessandra Facchinetti in 2004 after several poorly reviewed collections.
Giannini’s first womenswear collection for Gucci was met with mixed reviews. Although in the last two season’s she has really out shined her predecessors. As for designer John Ray, his first collection for Gucci premiered Spring 2005. The designer received rave reviews for his first collection. His second collection would not be so positive, the designer opted to play safe and mimic the Ford/Gucci style created 4 years earlier. The last two seasons Ray’s collection seemed to have a lost vision and a lack of classic Gucci style. Hopefully Ray will go on to create his own namesake collection.
