ODE TO THE OUTSIDE

THE SECOND-TIME COLLABORATION BETWEEN GUCCI and THE NORTH FACE CELEBRATES new FORMS of IDYLLIC EXPLORATION

- AMANDA LEO

Europe’s most sparsely populated country, Iceland, was where the campaign for the second collaboration between Gucci and The North Face was shot. An ode to the magnificence of nature, the stunning video features rolling green hills, craggy grey cliffs and silent glaciers that reduce the Gucci-clad explorers to a speck, even as they spread out over the territory. Candid moments between the adventurers are captured on handheld film shots, in a nod to The North Face’s idea of nature as an outdoor playground, while also adding a tinge of that ’70s nostalgia that Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s creative director, so loves.

The extensive 126-piece collection caters to both men and women, with outerwear comprising the bulk of the collection. Michele, who has made maximalism a hallmark of the house during his tenure, also unveils a few new prints — one inspired by the icy mountains of the Nordic island nation, and several floral ones designed with The North Face — on an array of puffer jackets and vests. Look closer and one might spot a tiny kitten curled up on the collaboration logo, emblazoned across T-shirts and hoodies, lending a touch of retro whimsy to each piece.