We have the first collaboration for the year, and it’s none other than Gucci’s Creative Director Frida Giannini x Hirohiko Araki. Inspired by Giannini’s Cruise 2013 collection for Gucci, Araki, a Japanese Manga (Japanese comic strip) artist, has created an exclusive Manga-themed story entitled “Jolyne, Fly High With Gucci” that is to be displayed as window installations at all Gucci stores worldwide during January and February.

The Cruise 2013 dress that featured in Araki’s comic above

The story centres around the adventures of Jolyne Cujoh, a student who inherits a keepsake from her mother’s Gucci collection. Curious to find out more about this vintage Gucci piece, Jolyne embarks on a journey through time, in the past, present and future. The artist reinterprets Gucci’s signature Flora motif in her work and in quite a few of the collection’s signature pieces.

Another Cruise 2013 dress that is featured in Araki’s work above

Artist Araki on her collaboration with Gucci: “I have always been fascinated by Italy and it is a great pleasure and honour for me to collaborate with Gucci, a brand that truly stands for design and tradition in Italy … Frida’s beautiful Cruise collection with its strong colours and graphic designs set my mind racing the moment she showed it to me. From there the characters and story;line came into being so naturally. It was very stimulating to work together on this project.”

For us in Malaysia, these windows will be going up at the Gucci flagship in Pavilion this Friday, 11 January 2013.

Check out Gucci’s new Cruise collection in a series of vivid videos, plus the whimiscal manga collaboration and listen to an exclusive interview with Blake Lively. Go to the App store and download  the GUCCI STYLE app now

As for the full Manga story, I’ll keep you posted when I receive news! It will be published on Gucci’s Official Facebook page soon! Stay tuned!

All images courtesy of Gucci