On February 27, the entire fashion world in Milan—and beyond—held its breath for the inaugural show by Demna Gvasalia, the current creative director of Gucci, formerly of Balenciaga and Vêtement. The result was not spectacular, but it was clear: for the newcomer, the era of buzz and sexy is not yet over.
Imploring the gods in his own way, Demna finally delivered his first score for the Gucci woman in a monumental setting surrounded by white marble, intended to represent a “sanctuary” that is anything but museum-like in this era of noise and fury.
Unlike his predecessor, Sabato de Sarno, formerly of Valentino, the Georgian designer preferred to play the sexy card, even if it meant rehashing a few silhouettes reminiscent of the Tom Ford era and the Porno Chic characteristic of the early 2000s. The 44-year-old creative director, accustomed to loose-fitting designs, did not fail to revisit the transgressive fundamentals by offering second-skin outfits and a sporty look more in tune with the times.
In this highly polarizing show, there were two schools of thought: some hailed it as genius and the return of sexy at Gucci, while others saw it as a rather undifferentiated collection, riding the mob wife trend with hints of fast fashion and even the look of an influencer like Kim Kardashian.
So, will he or won’t he make us forget four years of stagnation at Gucci? Only time will tell.
A new beginning
With an inaugural fashion show entitled Primavera (Italian for spring), Demna is aiming for nothing less than a true renaissance. This is a bold move, especially for a Georgian in an Italian fashion house. His predecessor, Sabato de Sarno, an Italian, failed to understand Gucci’s DNA, proposing a wardrobe that was far too conservative to be honest, to the point that he was dismissed before even implementing an aggiornamento in the light of his red Ancora.
In place since March 2025, Demna has learned his lesson. Refusing to confuse speed with haste in light of the fashion show calendar and the financial difficulties Gucci has been mired in since 2022, the Georgian designer met the deadline while offering an alternative format last September, namely: a film by Spike Jonze featuring a five-star cast led by Demi Moore, the star actress of the multi-award-winning horror film The Substance. With his Famiglia and his anthology of archetypes as decadent as they are crazy, Demna understood through this highly cinematic object how to buy time while giving some reassuring clues to financiers.
As for the actual launch of his stylistic reign, Demna preferred to wait until the following season, Fall-Winter 2026-27, to take part in a live fashion show and deliver his reinterpretation of the Gucci myth.
The designer chose the minimalist setting of the Palazzo Delle Scintille, filled with marble sculptures, to showcase his creations and, above all, to capture attention, a necessity in this age of information overload.
Reviving Gucci’s sex appeal
On the eve of D-Day, Demna, ever the tease, once again delivered an unexpected preview, created entirely by artificial intelligence, fueling buzz and comments of varying degrees of enthusiasm on the web. Already, the vision of a sexy revival was emerging. This was corroborated by the words of the master himself, who stated beforehand, “I don’t want an intellectual approach, I want Gucci to be a sensation.”
Deliberately mixed, the show featured two archetypal remnants of the Tom Ford era: the femme fatale and the himbo, a testosterone-fueled, bodybuilding reinterpretation of the bimbo.
Refusing to fall into the trap of ultra-short systematization, let alone Balenciaga’s signature oversize, Demna opted for a mix of skinny waists, hidden-revealed, midi skirts, second-skin turtlenecks, faux fur, leather pants, and high-slit dresses. The sportswear and urban spirit that characterized his former stomping ground breathes new life into the collection with leggings, tight-fitting T-shirts, and straight-leg jeans.
Die-hard fans of the brand will nevertheless welcome the presence of a few dramatic Gucci staples, such as the Flora motif, printed on blouses and dresses, the double G monogram on tights and shoes, and the bit, featured on boots and pumps. Also noteworthy is the return of the night with lots of sequins, leather skirts and even trompe-l’oeil visible thongs, which are actually cropped pants. Kate Moss, the tall, slender priestess of this tacky style straight out of the Noughties, made her big comeback, closing with a backless silhouette and… G-string on display, like a play on words with the G in Gucci.
The result is a wardrobe halfway between dreamy Milanese allure and sharp eroticism à la Catherine Tramell, aka Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, Paul Verhoeven’s scandalous thriller (1992). Proof of this, the immaculate and outrageously sexy outfit from the legendary interrogation scene makes a final appearance here.
Read also > Demna sends Gucci sales soaring
Featured photo: Gucci
