In Bloom

Canadian fine artist Kris Knight is making waves on the international fashion scene with his Flora Print for Gucci Cruise 2015. Knight reimagined Gucci’s iconic Flora print transforming the Gucci classic into something modern and enigmatic. Knight grew up in the Canadian countryside and found inspiration in the plants of pagan ancient Rome used by women to command power over men. The end result is quite incredibly breath-taking! A Canadian who had a connection with Frida Giannini and finally designing prints for Gucci. Who would expect?

Knight’s relationship with Gucci is very fascinating, from his moody portraits which have been used on T-shirts by the label to having him find out about Gucci’s interest in his work when friends e-mailed links to reviews of the fall runway show that mentioned his artwork as an inspiration point. It was completely unbeknownst to him, even in an era when collaborations between brands and artists/creatives are as often as it is.

Soon Giannini invited Knight to her office in Rome, and she commissioned him to reimagine Gucci’s iconic Flora pattern, which showed up on the current Resort collection. When asked why she selected Knight for the job, Giannini said, “Not all artists today are so talented in painting, and because, of course, the Flora pattern was born as a painting.”

Secondly, like his impulse to gift Giannini an album by an indie band instead of, let’s say, a bottle of wine, Gucci is embracing a take on Canada that overlooks clichéd reference points like lumberjack checks, maple syrup and trapper hats. Instead, Knight’s imagery of painted characters, with their flushed cheeks and cosy apparel rendered in sombre tones, speak to a more modern idea of Canuck cool.