Way before flowers became a fashionable commodity like they have become today, and maximalism and psychedelic chic became the rage, there was American fashion designer Ken Scott.
One of the bag designs featured in the Ken Scott capsule line is the Gucci Horsebit 1955 shoulder bag.
While his name might not ring a bell among most consumers today, fashion history buffs and insiders would know of the late Indiana designer, who set up base in Milan the ’60s, for his fabrics, floral printed suits and vociferous appetite for clashing loud colours.
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Dubbed ‘the gardener of fashion’, Scott’s wallpaper-like tapestry was no wallflower either as they featured look-at-me blooms like peonies, poppies and sunflowers.
The Gucci Ken Scott capsule line is not for wallflowers.
His obituary in The New York Times in 1991 mentioned Scott’s dramatic flair in detail. It said: “In Rome, Mr Scott once showed his new collections in a circus tent, complete with jugglers, acrobats, a fire eater, and a llama, perilously close to panic. In the late 60’s he was one of the first designers to show calf-length skirts in an entire collection.”
The womenswear designs feature four of Scott’s archival prints: Giardino d’Aprile, Zia, Jenni and Pomponica.
In a way, Gucci’s Alessandro Michele is Scott’s kindred spirit. For Gucci’s Epilogue collection, Michele tapped on the rich archival prints designed by Scott for a colourful capsule line for men and women which spans pieces like evening gowns, bags, sneakers and accessories.
Today, the Ken Scott brand is part of textile company Mantero.
Dropping in stores in early March, the women’s designs boast four vintage prints in vivid hues and flower combinations as well as micro prints of the Ken Scott and Gucci brand names. Below, we highlight some of the key items from the outing you can get your hands on.
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P.S. If you’re keen to learn more about the colourful life and legacy of Ken Scott, tune in to the Gucci Podcast episode with Shahidha Bari, a critic and Professor of Fashion Cultures and Histories at London College of Fashion at the University of the Arts London.
