Interview

TB: Your own personal style is very straightforward, so when I look at it versus the rock 'n' roll, groupie, gypsy, Gucci man and woman, I wonder if this is your fantasy of how you would like to be.

FG: When I approach a collection, I never think too much about myself, because doing fashion and being a designer, you need to dream. Of course, there's always a part of myself. I'm always wearing what I'm doing. I'm not a party girl, but when I have the opportunity to go out and dance and be crazy for a night, that's the fall/winter collection.

TB: That's why model Natasha Poly is such a dream alter ego. She's the ideal Gucci gypsy with a hint of danger. But you're using Claire Danes in your campaigns as well, and that's a very different mood.

FG: Claire Danes was chosen for the fine-jewelry campaign. We used Drew Barrymore a year ago, and we wanted to elaborate on this idea of celebrity-a young actress, a modern golden blonde. They go very well together. And fine jewelry has a long-lasting value, so I didn't want to use a model who may stop working in a year or so or who may reschedule to do other campaigns.

TB: And James Franco is the face of the new Gucci fragrance for men.

FG: To me, Franco has the dangerous rebel side of the Gucci guy of today. He's a natural. Of course, he's not a rock star, but it was difficult for me to find a rock star with such a beautiful face at this moment in the world. [laughs]

TB: Is working on the campaigns a kind of release or an escape from all the pressure of being responsible for Gucci's sales figures?

FG: I don't know. The pressure is always very high. I am the client, and when I am the client, I need to fight with the photographer or with the stylists or with all the people that are on the set, because I am the only one who has a very specific vision. I always have the pressure, either from myself or from the company. I am a control freak. It's part of my culture. I know that I am still working to build a Frida moment at Gucci.

TB: Before, you let the brand speak without you, yourself, being so visible in public. Now I see you hosting the UNICEF gala in New York or the event in Los Angeles, and it seems you're more comfortable being in the spotlight.

FG: "Comfortable" is a great word. I cannot tell you that I am 100-percent comfortable, but for sure I am more confident of my goals, because I know what I can expect from this kind of event. At the beginning, everything was a mysterious, far-from-me world, and now it's more accessible. Of course, exposing myself is always very difficult. I cannot say that I'm a shy person, but I don't see myself as a superstar. [laughs] I will never see myself like that.