Gucci To Show SS19 Collection At Le Palace

If walls could talk: Le Palace, the legendary theatre-turned-discothèque was Paris’ answer since to Studio 54 when nightlife impresario Fabrice Emaer took control of its enormous dance floor in the 1977. Edwige Belmore manned the door; Blondie, Prince, Talking Heads and The Clash graced its stage; Yves Saint Laurent and Karl Lagerfeld’s circles worked the crowd. It was debauchery contained within Art Deco walls – all plush velvet, marble tiles and plenty of dark corners.

Four decades on and the fash pack still loves a party. The 9th arrondissement venue recently had a private lock-in for Hedi Slimane’s 50th birthday, and on September 24 it will host Gucci’s spring/summer 2019 collection as part of the brand’s love letter to Paris.

“The Théâtre Le Palace resonates with the vision of the house as it is a venue that gave life to a (sub)culture that has inspired young generations up until today,” a statement from Gucci said of the space.

Though it is the first time the location has ever hosted a catwalk show, Alessandro Michele’s longtime music collaborator Michel Gaubert was a resident DJ at Le Palace during its heyday. Expect the playlist to live up to those heady nights in the Seventies, and the 9pm show time to facilitate after-hours revelry on the transition day between Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks.

Gucci’s ode to the Paris started with its pre-fall 2018 advertising campaign, which took inspiration from the 1968 marches and riots in the country, and saw the brand hold its cruise 2019 show on the Promenade Des Alyscamps, a Roman necropolis outside the walls of the old town of Arles. The final instalment, however, could see an Italian heritage brand trump all other shows on the Paris schedule with its blockbuster venue. For one season only, Alessandro Michele intends to reign supreme in the French capital.