At Gucci, fashion becomes wearable

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Fashion shouldn't be difficult to understand or wear. That's the view of Gucci designer Sabato de Sarno, who presented his third women's collection on red lacquered floors – Gucci's signature color during his tenure – at the Triennale di Milano on Friday.

The aim of enhancing the everyday has been the designer's intention since his first collection. And although the relaunch after seven years of maximalism at the Kering-owned label came as a shock to many, de Sarno has remained true to his opinion: yes, fashion is about self-expression, but dressing up doesn't have to be so far removed from reality.

“Casual grandeur” – this is how de Sarno described the Spring/Summer 2025 collection in his show notes and later explained backstage that this “means [clothes how] They want and like, but in a very simple way.” This sums up his design approach: nothing is too complicated to wear or to understand.

This can be difficult to translate into effective advertising campaigns or fashion shows, where visually striking pieces tend to make a more lasting impression. That might explain why the showroom, lit in the colors of a sunset, felt more intimate this time around. Guests – including Daisy Edgar-Jones, who sat next to Dakota Johnson, and Kirsten Dunst, seated next to Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault – were able to see the clothes up close.

The runway featured vests and elegant trousers accessorized with gold jewelry that wrapped around models' arms, necks and wrists. It was designed to mimic the handle shape of the Bamboo 1947 bag, an archival style that de Sarno reintroduced this season in lacquer and plexiglass. De Sarno explained that the bags, not the clothes, were “the star of the show” – an approach that makes sense considering that much of the brand's sales come from leather goods and accessories.

There were also lace slips and draped Grecian-style dresses paired with knee-high boots, which de Sarno clearly has a penchant for—but this time it was a loafer hybrid with the brand's signature horsebit buckle on top. Heavier textures were used, including suede, denim, leather and sequined styles, as well as surprisingly bright colors like a neon yellow or a fiery tangerine print. Closing the show was a quartet of looks: wide-leg pants, floor-length coats and cardigans with the Gucci monogram. “These new shapes and colors are meant to be worn casually,” de Sarno affirmed.

Unlike previous shows, the mood was undeniably cheerful. De Sarno received a standing ovation as he bowed to the tune of “Non voglio mica la luna” by singer Fiordaliso, which every Italian audience member seemed to know and sing along to. “At my last show in September, we played [a remix of] “Ancora ancora ancora” by Mina,” explained the designer. “I'm younger than these songs, but my mother used to play them a lot when I was a child, so they're stuck in my mind.”

The sentimental approach was touching, but it may not be enough to turn the brand's fortunes around. The brand's falling sales are a problem for parent company Kering: Gucci, which had 10 billion euros in sales last year, accounted for half of the group's revenue and two-thirds of profits. Kering's revenues in the first half of 2024 were 9 billion euros, down 11 percent on a like-for-like basis. They were dragged down by Gucci, whose revenues were 4.1 billion euros, down 18 percent on a like-for-like basis.

The challenge is getting people excited about de Sarno's designs, which have been in stores for around eight months now – a problem exacerbated by a general downturn in the luxury segment. When I saw pieces like the embellished coats and sky-high platform shoes from his previous collections worn by influencers and other guests off the runway, I thought they looked great. And isn't de Sarno's goal to dress for reality?

Perhaps it was about building a meaningful connection with the brand that ultimately creates desire. That's all the more important given that Gucci's average prices have risen by at least 4 percent in the past month, according to estimates from investment bank Citi. One wonders if the brand is doing enough to appeal to those not at the shows. Hopefully the recent hiring of former Louis Vuitton and Prada communications manager Stefano Cantino in a newly created position of deputy CEO will help with that.

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