Gucci Will Merge Its Women’s and Men’s Runway Shows

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Gucci will no longer send its women's and men's collections down separate runways. The brand's CEO Marco Bizzarri announced at The New York Times International Luxury Conference today that Gucci will show its womenswear and menswear together starting in 2017.

Bizzarri said during the conference that hosting a single Gucci runway show per season will make things so much easier. "Moving to one show each season will significantly help to simplify many aspects of our business," he said. "Maintaining two separate, disconnected calendars has been a result of tradition rather than practicality."

Some of the details have to be worked out, and there's no confirmation yet as to when this runway show will happen. But Gucci isn't the only brand aligning its womenswear and menswear collections: Burberry, Vetements, and Tom Ford are moving towards a single runway show too. And designers, including Gucci, have already been adding womenswear looks to men's shows and vice versa.

Gucci isn't falling in line with another runway trend, though. The fashion house's shows won't be instantly shoppable, since Gucci is sticking with its traditional production schedule.

Update: Alessandro Michele said in a statement:

It seems only natural to me to present my men's and women's collections together. It's the way I see the world today. It will not necessarily be an easy path and will certainly present some challenges, but I believe it will give me the chance to move towards a different kind of approach to my story telling.