For its Autumn/Winter 2025 collection, Gucci effortlessly danced between nostalgia and bold modernity, delivering an audacious yet timeless spectacle under the design team’s leadership following Sabato De Sarno’s departure. The show signalled a significant shift away from the signature Ancora red that dominated recent seasons, embracing an all-encompassing Gucci green. The striking hue adorned everything from invitations to the venue’s lacquered catwalk, marking a powerful aesthetic evolution that laid the groundwork for the future.
The presentation unfolded in two distinct acts, blending feminine elegance with audacious edge. The first chapter felt like a cinematic homage to the quirky charm of Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. Models in plush faux fur coats, boldly coloured tights, and sculpted side-part hairstyles evoked the spirit of Margot Tenenbaum, while the collection’s playful references to Grey Gardens saw models clad in wool cardigans, sequinned pencil skirts, and babushka-style scarves. The palette—a heady mix of acidic greens, faded purples, rusty oranges, and pastel pinks—created a surreal, yet oddly cohesive, mood that had us captivated. It felt almost like a fashionable fever dream, but one that pulled off its audacious colour play with startling success.
On the menswear front, the mood shifted, as precisely tailored suits in sugary shades of green and pink stood out. Paired with glossy vinyl coats and metallic shirts, these looks paid homage to Gucci’s disco-era glam while maintaining an undeniable modern flair. The juxtaposition of sharp tailoring and slick, futuristic materials added a layer of complexity that was both sleek and daring, bringing to life the refined yet rebellious spirit of Gucci’s brand DNA.
The show’s staging was a spectacle in itself. The vast Gucci green catwalk, designed to mimic the brand’s interlocking G logo, provided the perfect backdrop for this sartorial statement. An original score composed by Oscar-winning Justin Hurwitz added a cinematic layer to the event, performed live by an orchestra, enhancing the show’s otherworldly atmosphere. The accessories were just as essential to the narrative, particularly the Horsebit motif, which appeared in myriad new iterations—from fluffy totes to structured, ladylike handbags, showcasing the brand’s ability to evolve while remaining true to its iconic symbols.
While the collection was undoubtedly rooted in Gucci’s storied past, it also marked a contemporary revival, blending the glamorous excesses of Tom Ford’s era with the eccentricities of Alessandro Michele’s influence. The design team successfully played with the maison’s heritage, delivering a collection that felt like a love letter to Gucci’s history, yet firmly anchored in the present. The polished tailoring, particularly in the form of sleek double-breasted suits and monochromatic looks, delivered on timeless elegance, while the playful juxtaposition of textures and silhouettes kept the collection fresh and dynamic.
What truly stood out, however, was the confidence with which Gucci embraced its legacy while experimenting with new ideas. A Gucci holdall designed with a side handle for vertical carrying was an intriguing yet unexpected twist—proof of the brand’s ongoing push to rethink and reinvent its accessories.
Ultimately, this was a collection that captured the essence of Gucci: luxurious, bold, and endlessly intriguing. The design team, stepping up in a time of transition, managed to marry the whimsical with the sophisticated, the classic with the contemporary, and, in doing so, reignited the magic that has long defined the brand. This show wasn’t just about a passing of the baton—it was a demonstration of Gucci’s unyielding ability to evolve while staying true to its roots, making it a collection worthy of applause.
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Words by Jheanelle Feanny
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