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Gucci ushers in a "new era" with the debut of its new creative director, Demna, at Milan Fashion Week. The maverick Georgian designer, who takes over after a decade at Balenciaga, will launch his vision with a film rather than a traditional runway show. This strategic approach follows his appointment in July to help address declining sales. Tuesday's film will showcase a series of new looks, highlighting his vision for the brand.
Presented as portraits of "La Famiglia" ("The Family"), the mixed men and women's collection takes a humorous look at stereotypes such as the diva, the influencer, the narcissist and the mama's boy.
There are knock-out red-carpet gowns, thigh-skimming fake fur coats, chic outfits, sheer vests and minis, classic accessories and more than a nod to Tom Ford's past reign.
"To me, all these archetypes represent the Gucci crowd, the customers of Gucci in the future who will each of them be able to find something in the collection they can relate to," Demna told fashion outlet WWD in an interview published Monday.
The looks will feature in a film, "The Tiger", directed by acclaimed filmmakers Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn, although the details are still under wraps. The collection, which the label said "marks the genesis of a new Gucci era", will be on sale at 10 boutiques across the world.
At Balenciaga, Demna -- who dropped his last name, Gvasalia, in 2021 -- drove sales sharply higher and grabbed the headlines with often provocative creations. But Gucci is another story. The Italian fashion house, famous for its handbags, has struggled since the Covid pandemic against a slowing Chinese appetite for luxury goods that has hit the sector hard worldwide.
Shares in Kering, which counts Gucci as its main profit generator, fell around 12 percent on the day of the announcement of Demna's appointment. But Kering chief Francois-Henri Pinault has insisted that Demna's "creative power is exactly what Gucci needs".
