Gucci designer Demna has unveiled what he describes as ‘his first complete personal vision for the brand,’ in a new collection presented at Milan Fashion Week.
In what Gucci called “The Store Show”, models walked through a set designed to resemble a boutique, with clothing hung on racks, shoes on display and cases filled with accessories.
Guests including Shawn Mendes, Bianca Jagger and Cardi B were likely inspired to indulge in a little retail therapy, while the setting also helped underline Demna’s vision for the brand.
“Gucci is about luxury that wants to be seen,” he declared, saying he has finally defined what Gucci stands for after completing a year with the brand. “It is about the tension between propriety and sensuality.”
The show once again brought together a cast of characters who make Demna’s glamorous, edgy designs and the house’s signature elements their own.
The designer acknowledged that while Gucci started out with a certain “respectability”, its most memorable eras have introduced, “eccentricity, danger or sex appeal,” into that world, something he clearly connects with. “Gucci’s history is carried by personalities, identities and lifestyles, not purely by design codes,” he shared.
Now, he intends to continue establishing Gucci as a label that embraces contrasts: “between aristocracy and pop culture, Florence and Hollywood, good taste and bad taste (whatever that means), heritage and mass desire, belonging and rebellion.”
Women’s looks in the collection moved from polished country-club and equestrian chic to office-ready daywear and, finally, unapologetic party-girl sex appeal, all grounded in the distinctive design signatures Demna has established across his previous collections.
Menswear similarly explored preppy staples such as polo shirts and white jeans, alongside more street-influenced looks, with tailoring relaxing into oversized, slouchy silhouettes.
Standout accessories included horsebit hardware in varying sizes across belts, bags and shoes, ladylike croc-print leather purses and small, cylindrical shoulder bags.
