Gucci Off The Grid Collection
True to Gucci’s reputation as fashion maverick and industry leader, the brand introduced Gucci Off The Grid — a 37-piece line crafted entirely from recycled materials and trims— for Pre-Fall 2020. It’s the first generation of the house’s Circular Lines initiative, which aims to end the use of raw materials and instead rely upon recycled, regenerated or sustainable fabrics for creating their distinctive designs.
The goal of Gucci Off The Grid is twofold: First, in their own words, the fashion house hopes “to enhance respect for, and responsibility toward, the environment,” and second, to serve environmentally conscious Gucci enthusiasts already mindful of their impact on the planet.
Closing the Loop: Recycled Materials and Craftsmanship of Gucci Off The Grid
Circular production refers to the idea that fashion brands can design clothing and accessories taking into account their recyclability and “end life” from the beginning, ultimately increasing reusability of their components. In developing the Gucci Off The Grid series, Creative Director Alessandro Michele realized that the luxury label could produce items fully crafted from eco-friendly materials without sacrificing Gucci quality or aesthetics. The result is a sporty, genderless collection of accessories and ready-to-wear pieces steeped in practicality, sustainability and unmistakable Gucci style.
Gucci Off The Grid accessories employ ECONYL® nylon for their main construction. Sourced from regenerated materials like carpets, fishnets and other textile scraps, ECONYL is unique in that it can be recycled and reused over and over again, significantly decreasing the ecological footprint by closing the loop of the production and consumption cycle. Gucci collectors identify the fabric by its durability, sheen and tonal GG monogram print. Gucci Off The Grid uses leather trims made from an alternative metal or chrome-free tanning process that boasts lower environmental impact than conventional tanning methods. In addition to recycled body fabrications and trims, here are other ways the Gucci Off The Grid series addresses sustainability within the line:
- Linings, buttons and interior labels made of recycled materials
- Viscose linings sourced from sustainably managed forests
- Pieces sewn using recycled polyester threads
- Recycled polyester ribbons and cords derived from industry waste or byproducts, decreasing the reliance on new fossil fuel-based materials
- Dust bags crafted in recycled nylon flannel
- Metal hardware made from recycled brass alloys with nickel-free finishes
Gucci Off The Grid’s Key Features
Gucci fans recognize Off The Grid accessories by the luxe sheen of the tonal GG monogram print woven throughout the recycled nylon construction. In addition to the sustainable fabric, many Gucci Off The Grid pieces display a gold-tone Gucci script logo with the brand’s name printed in full and centered over a circular leather tab. Colorways for Gucci Off The Grid include black, blue, green, orange and yellow. Black or white trim completes all pieces except for the children’s belt bags, which feature striped Web waist straps and no leather trim.
Essential Styles of Gucci Off The Grid
Approximately three dozen unisex styles comprise the original Gucci Off The Grid offering released in 2020. Categories and their respective silhouettes include:
Bags: Belt bag, three different backpack styles, two children’s belt bags, cosmetics case, duffle bag, long tote bag, messenger bag, mini bag, shoulder bag, tote bag
Footwear: high-top sneaker, low-top sneaker, slide sandals
Hats: baseball hat, bucket hat
Wallets: billfold wallet, card case, passport case, pouch
Miscellaneous and ready-to-wear items include windbreaker jackets, pants, ski gloves and a vest.
Resale Value of Gucci Off The Grid
With the debut of the Off The Grid collection, Gucci acts as a vanguard for reinventing an industry which very often gets a bad environmental rap. Initiatives like Circular Lines and Equilibrium, another Gucci green project, show the luxury fashion brand’s definitive actions toward building a better future for both people and planet.
High resale prices may reflect the relative newness and limited availability of the line. In 2020-21, Gucci Off The Grid styles such as a black card case wallet and black duffle bag sold for 80% to 90% of their original price on secondary markets. Orange and yellow mini bags went even higher, climbing to more than 90% of their retail price. On eBay, a lightly used yellow mini bag with a retail price of $720 fetched $450, equal to 63% of its original cost.
For environmentally conscious designer fashion collectors, the secondary market offers an added benefit: Giving items new life by purchasing them secondhand is one of the best ways to reduce individual environmental impact.