Gucci Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear Collection

When Fiordaliso's 1986 hit “Non Voglio Mica La Luna” played as the models made their final rounds at Gucci today, the audience began to jump in their seats and sing along. Sabato De Sarno's first year at the brand was not always easy, but with his new show he wanted to give it a happy, cheerful tone.

His first step was to return to the Triennale, Milan's art and design museum and the setting for his menswear show in June, where he staged a sort of sunset in the round, with the individual rooms of the elongated space shaded from yellow to orange to ancora red. At a preview earlier this week, De Sarno spoke fondly of his August holiday spent on Formentera with his husband and parents – the set was designed to capture that endless summer feeling.

His muse was Jackie O, a Gucci client from way back when and a global style icon who has inspired countless designers over the decades. “During my research in the archives, I found someone who described her style as 'casual grandeur.' Those words stuck with me throughout my creative process,” he explained. The Kennedy clan is back in style – Ryan Murphy just announced he's producing a new TV show about John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy – so the connection to Jackie was a bit of synchronicity.

The reference wasn't obvious in the opening look, a wool bomber jacket paired with hip-length baggy trousers (previously seen in his spring men's collection) and sneakers, but as the show progressed, the printed headscarves and large sunglasses in the archive suggested De Sarno was recalling Jackie's Capri era. A woven raffia coat in neon green with a barely-there floral print and printed beach pieces with matching wide-brimmed sun hats – these patterns were inspired by a photo of Queen Elizabeth II in Gucci – were meant to reflect '60s jet-set style.

For the celebs—Kirsten Dunst, Dakota Johnson, Daisy Edgar-Jones and others—there was a red-carpet-ready sleeveless sequined dress. Elsewhere, De Sarno revisited the iconic white jersey dresses from Tom Ford's fall 1996 collection, only his were in bold colors and covered in gold bangles and bamboo-shaped necklaces. The Bamboo bag was the company's big signature piece this season. The show featured several vintage versions customized by Japanese artists, and a press release made special mention of an exhibition currently running in Japan showcasing the bag's 60-year history in that country. A shoulder-strap bucket bag that also made frequent appearances had horsebit details that also appeared on new flat boots, an evolution of the brand's familiar loafers.

The show culminated in a series of looks with today's jet-set spirit: oversized coats whose hems touched the floor, worn with tank tops and boyish jeans. This was perhaps De Sarno's greatest advance: an elusive, casual attitude that he hadn't quite managed to achieve before. A somber mood has set in at Gucci, but watching the dancing and singing along to the old Fiordaliso song, it seemed as though De Sarno had found some new fans. That's a step forward, because perception is such a crucial element of success.