MILAN, ITALY — It’s a big moment for Gucci. The brand that recently appointed Balenciaga’s former Creative Director, Demna Gvasalia after the departure of his predecessor is arguably one of the most influential profiles in his category, sprawling imitations up town and down.
Surfing on this success, the new collection titled La Famiglia (the family) is a case study of Demna’s initial take on “Gucciness” and its newfound characters part of the house, gushing into a new expression at the brand as a mindset and a shared creative language.
On Tuesday, 23 September, the house premiered the story of The Tiger, a film that features Barbara Gucci, Head of Gucci International and Chairman of California, as she gathers her children and a special guest at the family home to celebrate her birthday. Beneath the polished surface, Barbara struggles to balance everything: upholding the company’s reputation, impressing a guest of honour, being a mother, and her desperate attempt to control it all.
The star-studded cast comprised the likes of Demi Moore, Edward Norton, Keke Palmer, Kendall Jenner, and Alex Consani, among others. Overall, the film, the lineup, and the cast received great applause. The next scrutiny comes on Thursday when the see-now buy-now collection goes on sale in 10 stores worldwide, including Milan, Paris, London, New York City, and Los Angeles.
The house’s codes were framed portraits of an extended Gucci family, captured by Catherine Opie, made up of singular personalities and distinctive aesthetic attitudes: the different facets of Gucci’s personas. The lookbook opens with L’Archetipo, a monogrammed travel trunk that highlights the House’s origins as a valigeria, followed by the Incazzata in a 60s-style “little red coat” that reflects her fiery demeanour.
The Italian art of timelessness informs poise and romance: slingback kitten heels and soft leather mules worn stepped-in; the mastery of spontaneous nonchalance. Heritage signatures are revisited and revived: the Gucci Bamboo 1947 bag, a 78-year-old signature that remains as innovative today as ever, is re-proportioned, alongside the Horsebit loafer, a House icon since 1953.
by Chidozie Obasi