In 1897, Guccio Gucci served as a bellboy at the Savoy Hotel. 127 years later, Kate Moss roams through the corridors of the British landmark in a slinky lingerie minidress and a giant coat as a prelude to Gucci’s cruise 2024/25 show. Despite the impact of the British capital on the brand’s heritage, the London Sabato de Sarno sees is far off from the Victorian city Gucci’s founder encountered.
Naturally, Gucci’s show took place in a London landmark that speaks to this new vision: the Tate Modern, or more specifically, the Blavatnik Building - De Sarno has an undeniable preference for brutalist settings. This time, however, the industrial edge is met with a natural softness, as the concrete walls magically grow vegetation.
Descending from the spiral staircase came the first looks. Neutral, wearable, and classic; denim was paired with caramel suede and pale yellow chiffon. The signature Ancora red wasn’t just present in the bannisters outside the museum, it was frequently seen as a pop of colour in neutral looks or monochromatic playsuits and full leather sets.
Despite the distance from De Sarno’s and Guccio Gucci’s London, there were some faint Victorian tinges, particularly in intricate white lace pieces ranging from skimpy sets to tight maxi dresses.
As it has become the custom of the new Gucci, simplicity is frequently cut with elaborate luxury. For the cruise collection, intricate embroideries and mind-bending embellishments were an elegant display of craft. An empire silhouette dress utilised the curious embellishing technique to distort colourful tartan into delicate fringe that blended light pink into a deep sage green as it descended the body. The square fringe embellishments, perhaps an allusion to the stereotypically British pattern, were again seen in oversized minidresses and light green sets.
Bags were both mini and maxi, the latter inflating the classic Jackie model into assertively practical proportions. Completely transparent sets of short-sleeve shirts and long skirts revived the original purpose of a cruise collection - holiday wear.
The collection reached its end on a striking note, with pleated flowy dresses sensually grazing the green and grey maze as the models walked back up the imposing staircase.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
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