Milan Fashion Week opened with a question that has been looming over the city: what’s next for Gucci? Just two weeks after Sabato De Sarno’s departure as creative director — a move that rippled through the Kering group following a sharp decline in sales — the Florentine house’s latest runway show wasn’t just a presentation; it was a subtle yet strategic response.
The collection unfolded with elements that effortlessly whispered “Gucci”: delicate lace, equestrian-print scarves, ’60s-inspired coats, ’70s sensuality, and, of course, the iconic handbags that have long been a brand signature. But beneath the familiar aesthetics, there was a quiet insistence — a reminder that Gucci has its own voice, independent of the creative forces that have shaped it over the years.
If Tom Ford brought provocative sensuality and Michele infused the brand with a geek-chic baroque flair, today’s show seemed to underscore that Gucci’s DNA remains intact, rooted in its obsession with the ’60s and ’70s — eras of its golden age. The gaze may have turned to the past, but the message was about the future: there is no rush to fill the creative director’s seat because, above all, Gucci is a concept — and no one can take that away.
The real question now isn’t just who will lead the next creative chapter, but what new codes will emerge. The runway made it clear that the brand knows its foundations well, but in a moment of reinvention, the expectation is for something beyond predictable storefronts and safe collections.
As the fashion world watches closely, Gucci seems to be making one thing clear: it is more than the vision of any single creator — it is the sum of its history, its desires, and a future that, while uncertain, remains undeniably its own.
