Due to forecast torrential downpours, Gucci changed its show location at the eleventh hour from the lively, student-filled streets of Milan’s Brera neighbourhood to the colossal halls of the house’s HQ. The change of setting, however, didn’t dampen the sense of occasion, even if it was famously Tom Ford’s preferred setting for his Gucci shows and the location was mostly used for Alessandro Michele’s blockbuster spectacles. That’s where the similarities ended, though. It’s a new day at Gucci, a house that has been reinvented more times than Madonna, and now finds itself in the hands of former Valentino designer Sabato de Sarno.
If Tom Ford put louche sex appeal at the heart of Gucci, inspired by the halcyon days of Studio 54-era New York, and Alessandro Michele ushered in a sense of whimsical romance and gender fluidity that turned the house into a money-minting candy shop — then Gucci’s new creative director, Sabato de Sarno’s debut show offered a clean break from the Gucci that we think we know. It was no reinvention of the wheel, nor a hugely dramatic departure, but instead a figurative tapping of the ‘Restore to Factory Settings’ function: a wardrobe of precision-cut clothes designed to show off the house’s industrial craftsmanship. A palate cleanser, a clean slate, a foundation upon which he can presumably build with more narrative-led collections.
The designer was plucked from Valentino, where he climbed up from knitwear designer to Pierpaolo Piccioli’s second-hand over the course of 14 years. It was only inevitable there would be hints of his former employer in the collection, but for the most part, he seemed to be revisiting a 70s-via-90s aesthetic, ostensibly inspired by anti-fashion fashion photography — think David Sims, Corinne Day, Mario Sorrenti, Juergen Teller et al — than any particular artworks or concepts.
The emphasis was on an urban uniform, a capsule wardrobe that fashion editors are always trying to convince you to invest in: great blue jeans and perfectly tailored blazers, leggy A-line dresses, high-shine leather pieces, simple but well-cut knits and tees, and a few jazzy coats for throwing over simple clothes in the way we all do in the winter months. There were logo belts, a platformed version of the famous horsebit loafers, and a softer take on the Jackie bag. Occasionally, there were slices of lingerie lace, beaded fringe or lattices of crystals that suggested a bit of flair — but for the most part, it was simple, boxy silhouettes predominantly in navy, white and Gucci Rosso, his new deep shade of red. Mid-week dressing done very well.
“Everyone talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it,” once said Mark Twain. The timely sentiment could well be applied to fashion. Gucci changed its show because of the weather, but time will tell whether Sabato’s creative direction can truly impact the look of fashion.
