Gucci Joins Forces With Azède Jean-Pierre to Debut Azède Powered by Gucci 

It was during a chance meeting at the 2019 Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala that an idea began to germinate between designer Azède Jean-Pierre and the Gucci team. “We had a great conversation about my focus on knitwear and left it there, but they circled back really quickly with this beautiful opportunity,” Jean-Pierre recalled last night.

Partygoers at Gucci’s SoHo shop were greeted with the fruits of their collaborative labor, a selection of subtle, sculptural knitwear designed by Jean-Pierre and “powered” by Gucci through their design and manufacturing teams. “I really meshed with them; they’re incredibly talented and technical, which is what I am,” Jean-Pierre added. “I felt like we really understood each other and spoke the same language.”

Revelers included Bethann Hardison, Thelma Golden, and Marco Bizzarri, all in their ornate Gucci finery, along with Wyclef Jean, who provided the musical score for the accompanying film that debuted alongside the collection. A fellow champion of Haiti, Jean felt an instant connection with Jean-Pierre. “I think this is a big step for Gucci to take, because when you look at a place like Haiti, they only show you the disastrous parts, but it is one of the flyest places in the world,” Jean told us while buttoning up his newly acquired cardigan, plucked directly from the display. “I applaud this initiative, and there could be no one better for this than Azède. She is so fly and has the biggest heart, so this whole combination is exciting.”