This story originally appeared in i-D’s The New Wave Issue, no. 373, Fall/Winter 2023. Order your copy here.
A debut show for a new designer is always a pressure-cooker moment — especially when the brand in question is Gucci, one of the largest fashion houses in the world, and the designer in question has been propelled from the ranks of backstage anonymity into the blinding glare of the entire fashion world. Sabato De Sarno, who spent fourteen years as Pierpaolo Piccioli’s right hand at Valentino, was announced as the new creative director of Gucci in June. Due to the scale of the house, he didn’t have long to design his first collection — Italy closes for August — but one of the first things he got to work on was a global casting search around the world for the freshest-faced models to walk his debut show in Milan.
“I wanted the attention to be on the new aesthetic, the new faces and the new collection,” Sabato puts it simply. The supermodels of today would only distract from the clothes: a sleek urban uniform of tailoring, essentials and leggy silhouettes. Instead, the show starred many new faces — the industry term for never-seen-before models — which only added to this sense of a clean slate. A dozen of the models are exclusives to Gucci, effectively forming an equivalent to the cabines of models in old-school couture houses. Not bad as a first job. “I wanted to give the opportunity to a young girl to be a model for a big name like Gucci,” Sabato beams. “It could literally change their life.”
“I wanted to give the opportunity to a young girl to be a model for a big name like Gucci. It could literally change their life.” Sabato De Sarno
“I spend weeks with them doing fittings, having conversations, seeing how they wear the clothes, and we chose the outfits together depending on what they felt more comfortable in,” he continues. “I came from a small village, and I realised that fashion could help me express myself, be the best version of myself — that it could help me live better. I want women to wear my clothes and feel beautiful, comfortable and secure — for them to announce themselves in the way they want. I like it when you see the humans behind the looks.”
For Sabato, that transformative power has historically correlated with the house he now leads. He grew up in the small village of Cicciano, about 30 minutes from Naples — “they are very proud of me,” he grins. “They even wrote an article about me in the local newspaper!” Back when he was a teenager, he pawned a necklace his parents had given him so he could get the train to Rome and buy a velvet Gucci jacket by Tom Ford, his first big brand-name purchase. Never did Sabato imagine he would one day be following in Ford’s footsteps—particularly as he was so happy in his previous job (when he left, Pierpaolo posted outpourings of love for him on social media). But he knew that this was an opportunity he couldn’t turn down.
Taking on the mantle of Gucci has been a daunting challenge for the designer, but the bright-eyed joy he first felt as a teenager flicking through pages of magazines and marvelling at the beauty of the models, has been a guiding light in forging his own vision for the brand—and a new family. “The best moment was during the show, backstage, when the models would look in my eyes. It was my first time and also theirs—wow,” he whispers. “It was full of emotion, and we were crying because it was our show. It makes a job more than just a job.”
Nyajuok Gatdet
Where are you from?
I’m from South Sudan, born in Kenya and currently living in Sweden.
Best place to go out?
Sushi bars. I don’t really go out, I’m more of a housecat type.
Who is your hero?
My older sister. She practically saved my life when I was an infant while both my mom and I were very ill and my dad was working to afford treatment for the both of us. She was only eleven at the time.
Who are you crushing on at the moment?
Tyler The Creator. He just looks like a guy who smells good and is comfortable with himself.
Describe Gucci in three words?
Dynamic, elegant and wealthy.
Zoe Petit
Where are you from?
Paris.
The strangest thing in your suitcase?
My cat — she’s always hiding in there.
What’s an app you should delete but can’t?
Definitely my online bank account because there are some things you don’t want to think about after a party…
Describe Gucci in three words?
Elegant, creative, fun.
Elizabeth Osa
Where are you from?
Nigeria.
What’s your order at the bar?
Watermelon party punch.
What song have you had on repeat?
“Again” by Wande Coal.
Who is your hero?
Naomi Campbell.
Describe Gucci in three words.
Classy, beauty, magnificent.
Amy Arnett
Where are you from?
I grew up in San Diego, California.
What is the strangest thing in your suitcase?
A fuzzy rug. I like to sit on the floor when I get ready and the floors in hotel rooms are never comfortable. I bought a tiny fuzzy rug once while travelling and now it comes with me everywhere.
What’s the one item from the collection you’d want to steal?
The platform shoes in red… size 39.
Describe Gucci in three words?
Timeless. Elegant. Evolving.
Fadia Ghaab
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Stockholm with a very diverse childhood: both of my parents are from Karbala and I grew up in a Swedish environment to an Iraqi household. At home we speak Arabic, Swedish and English.
What’s your beauty secret?
The sun, but feeling beautiful makes beautiful. That’s above all.
Who are you crushing on at the moment?
Gillian Anderson.
What’s the one item from the collection you’d want to steal?
The entire collection is very special to me. Gucci SS24 is the first show I have walked and having been a part of the process prior to the show makes my point of view unfiltered. I can see all the decision making, all the thinking and the hard work behind every single look. But the one item I would steal would be the dress that I wore — it was the first dress I have worn in my modelling career, as well as having it especially picked out for me by Sabato. To me, that dress is a symbol of my start.
Describe Gucci in three words?
Chic, timeless and sexy.
Jiahui Zhang
Where are you from?
I grew up in Foshan, in the Guangdong Province of China.
What’s your order at the bar?
I drink lemon sparkling water; I can’t hold my liquor very well.
Who are you crushing on at the moment?
Myself.
What song have you had on repeat?
“Caffeine” by Lolo Zouai.
Describe Gucci in three words?
Attractive, modern, confident.
Credits
Photography Mario Sorrenti
Fashion Alastair McKimm
Hair Shay Ashual at R3 MGMT
Make-up Hannah Murray at Streeters using Bobbi Brown
Nail Technician Giovanna Demarco at Blend using Manucurist
Set Design Eleonora Succi at Walter Schupfer
Digital Technician Kotaro Kawashima
Photography Assistance Paolo Fava and Davide Traficante
Fashion Assistance Madison Matusich and Taylor Wood
Hair Assistance D’Angelo Alston and Taichi Saito
Make-up Assistance Lucie Nguyen and Silene Tonello
Set Design Assistance Ludovica Rosato
Production Lilia Cocciarelli and Letizia Corradin at North Six
Production Assistance Alessandro Salerno, Maryam Shater and Giulia Troilo
Casting Director Samuel Ellis Scheinman for DMCASTING
Casting Assistance Helena Balladino for DMCASTING
Models Amy Arnett at DNA, Zoe Petit at Elite Milan, Jiahui Zhang at Elite NY, Fadia Ghaab and Nyajuok Gatdet at MIKAs and Elizabeth Osa at Monster
All clothing and accessories GUCCI SS24