t's been nearly a year since the Gucci Group and you-know-who went their separate ways. The fashion world was well aware that the label could and would carry on even without their glamour-boy poster child, and it's not the least bit surprising that in Tom Ford's wake the bigwigs have been somewhat more modest in debuting the Ford's successors.

When Ford held the reigns at Gucci, the images of the designer and the label were one in the same. Debonair and charismatic, Ford was a walking, talking symbol of his product. It's undeniable that this was what made him so valuable to Gucci, but towards the end, it was also what made him a liability. So it seems this time around, the suits are looking to replace the creative genius, not the ego.

Enter stage right, (tip-toeing quietly onto the catwalk, of course) a new team of Gucci designers who are, dare I say, a little more discreet than their mentor. Stefano Pilati, Ford's former second-in-command is now heading up YSL Rive Gauche, Scottish designer John Ray has taken over the Gucci menswear division, Frida Giannini, who joined Gucci in 2002, has assumed the position of creative director of accessories, and the designer of the hour, Alessandra Facchinetti has taken full responsibility for Gucci's womenswear line and will be the one accountable for setting the mood for the next chapter in the fashion house's history.

Facchinetti at 32 has a young, media-friendly look offset by her dark, rock-n-roll chic style. To date, she has kept a low profile, but while some say that it's because she's a very private person, others maintain it's the execs that don't want another megawatt fashion designer on their hands.

Regardless of the rumors, one thing is for sure - Facchinetti is definitely up for the challenge. She says, "Gucci is the epitome of luxurious modern glamour. There are few fashion houses with a vision as powerful, so it's a huge challenge, and an honor, to take responsibility for it. I've always understood the Gucci woman intuitively - as a designer, I speak her language. I am feeling confident and very excited about where I will take her next."

According to the critics, that next place isn't very far from where she started. True, Facchinetti worked under Ford for four years before being appointed to her new position, but many say her first collection followed Ford's formula too closely and left many wishing she would've veered from the familiar path ever so slightly and established a look completely her
own. Notably there were small variations, but for the most part she stayed true to the signature style. "It was important for me to show the people that I can keep certain elements and go on," Facchinetti said. "If there is something to change, it's because fashion is changing and it's a part of the process."

In her first collection, stick thin models paraded elaborately detailed, fringed, and sari-inspired skirts dripping with Indian flavor down the Gucci runway. There were silver-studded crocodile and ostrich-skin jackets, silky cigarette pants, corseted and draped dresses all revealing plenty of skin, especially across open backs.

Facchinetti drew inspiration for the collection from the 1970's look of tall Texan model Jerry Hall, former wife of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. Infusing rock-n-roll into the collection was a natural move for Facchinetti who grew up outside of Milan with her father, Roby Facchinetti, a rock musician who sings and plays keyboard with the '60s-era pop group Pooh. In the '80s, when he decided to record a solo album, a then 11 year-old Alessandra sang backup. "I was really horrible," she recalls.

But her vision for the future of the Gucci empire is still evolving. "For a long time, the Gucci image has been very hard. It's time to offer women the possibility to express themselves with personalized pieces. It's not necessary to buy a uniform," she remarked. Indeed, her collection was noticeably free of the signature GG logos, though she did bring back some of the house's hardware on handbags and shoes harkening back to the styles of the late '80s and early '90s. "There will always be some icon," she adds.

While the house is now in the hands of a more demure female designer, Gucci devotees can rest assured that their great love affair with the label will not soon end. As a hot-blooded Italian, Facchinetti can single-handedly guarantee Gucci will remain a lust-worthy fashion indulgence.