A new era begins at Gucci
Gucci is at another tipping point in its 101-year-old history. New CEO. New creative director. The brand even wiped its Instagram clean of old posts. New slate.
What would creative director Sabato De Sarno — formerly of Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and, most notably, 14 years at Valentino — bring to the house after Alessandro Michele’s remarkable, seven-year stint?
That question was finally answered on Sept. 22 when De Sarno presented Ancora, his debut spring-summer 2024 ready-to-wear collection for Gucci. In anticipation, cities around the world — from Bangkok to New York to Paris — went burgundy, an iconic new shade that now has a name: Gucci Rosso. Ancora was supposed to be held in the streets of Milan so they had logo paper fans made, but it rained so Gucci was forced to hold it indoors at company headquarters.
Brand ambassador Ryan Gosling brought — not bumbling Ken-ergy but ultra-cool Ryan-ergy in dark glasses and loose-limbed swagger. Other front-row stars included Julia Roberts, Jessica Chastain, Kendall Jenner and our very own Pia Wurtzbach.
De Sarno’s 55 looks were a complete 180 from Michele’s aesthetic. Gone are the eccentricity and “more-is-more” bravura. In its place are pared-down essentials that any age would want to wear. “I started from wardrobe,” De Sarno told Vogue in an interview, “because I felt the urgency to put together the pieces that I like and that I don’t find.”
But not all the pieces are smartly tailored, basic black and white. De Sarno showed he could party, too, with pops of color like a chartreuse-green coat dripping swingy, silver fringe; the same kind of tinsel covering women’s shoes; and shiny, patent-leather pieces in Gucci Rosso, camel and different shades of blue.
“It’s a story of music and nights out, of sweat, dancing, and singing,” the designer says. “It’s a story of movies, of my beloved Italy, of intellectuals and travels around the world but still feeling at home wherever you are.”
For me, Ancora, which means “still” or “again” in Italian, denoting a longing for something you love to return, encapsulates the way young people of today like to dress, but levels it up with Gucci’s legendary luxury and Italian craftsmanship — “Italianity,” according to the creative director, who loves art and promoting young talent. We’ve all seen that today’s youths love to show skin, but the designer gives them an alternative to the overexposed midriff with deep V-necks, short shorts and miniskirt hemlines in baby-doll dresses.
“It’s Getty images of cool people of all ages, and it’s inclusive, as in, everyone is welcomed,” De Sarno said.
Ancora is rife with Gucci emblems, from a black-leather logo emblazoned on a hoodie, to platform moccasins with horse-bit buckles, to Jackie bags with Web-striped straps. “(It’s) a story of objects,” notes De Sarno. “Shiny, tactile and cold to the touch but warm to the heart and soul, these are desirable to collect, not for a museum but to enrich everyday life.”
At the end of the show De Sarno came out to take his bow, clad simply in black T-shirt, jeans and Converse sneakers. After being appointed by Kering last January it must have been months of intense pressure, hard work and expectations, carrying the heritage of a century-old house on his shoulders and moving it in a new direction towards a brighter future, but the designer met it with grace, gratitude, and passion.
“It’s a story of everything, again, but this time expressed through joy.”
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In the Philippines, the Gucci flagship store is in Greenbelt 4, Ayala Center, Makati.
