Gucci showcases collection of contradictions inspired by the idea of multiple selves at Milan Fashion Week

Fashion, by its very nature, is a growing, evolutionary beast that refuses to remain unchanged for long.

Alessandro Michele's Gucci, which unveiled its first ever joint mens and womenswear showcase in Milan this afternoon, is the antithesis to that theory.

With a collection which showed development of some of Michele's favourite codes instead of anything transformative, the man credited as fashion greatest living innovator offered more of the same to his customers.

If this sounds like a contradiction, it's because the latest Gucci collection is precisely that.

Michele is perennially inspired by the idea of multiple selves and the contrasts they create within us and this show was a lesson in that with everything from Jane Austen style ball gowns with bubble sleeves and detailed embroidery to AC/DC t-shirts on offer.

Citing an anti-modern laboratory, the designer unveiled his collection in a plastic covered catwalk reminiscent of a poly tunnel.

An incubator for a way of dressing that unmistakably Gucci, this high fashion green house served as a back drop to tiered dresses, striped tailoring, logo splayed t-shirts and overcoats.

This show - compiled of a mammoth 110 exits - was a microcosm for a world in which elements of streetwear fused with historical costume and where oversized floppy hats featured alongside vests tops graffitied with anarchic messaging. Just as it was a Petri dish for gender blending with Michele's fluid aesthetic playing a significant role.

The take home here was that Gucci - like its blooming sales figures - has the capacity to grow and grow.

Merchandise, and the idea that it's impossible to have too much of it, has been crucial to Gucci's recent reinvention. This time Michele seemed intent on expanding that archive even further today, returning to old favourites as well as inviting in new ones.

Must have pieces for the fashion consumer - see gowns exquisitely embellished with glass bedding and swinging jacquard suits - served as the show's base layer while items emblazoned with the Gucci logo - witness knitted headbands and t-shirts boasting the classic logo - were the collection's punctuation.

For men seeking traditional pieces there was beautifully crafted cashmere coats as well as snakeskin ankle boots with two inch heels.

An intellectual, Michele is fascinated by the role of fashion in modern society and sought to explore that theme through his accessory offering today. Dog collars and perspex shackles ensured that bags remained chained to the models as they walked. Michele's message: we're all slaves to his Gucci.