GUCCI RELIVES LONDON 1960s
The presentation began with the perfect relaxed denim, along with the Blondie purse and tan suede Horsebit ballerina flats. Several styles followed, using pastel chiffon bottoms bow blouses with a single string of pearls. It was feminine and effortlessly chic, reminiscent of British superstar Jane Birkin—complete with long, undone hair, large sunglasses, and similarly gigantic bags. The show included a lot of frilly scarves, loose jeans, and seasonally appropriate flowers.
Dua Lipa, Salma Hayek, Alexa Chung, Kate Moss, and Paul Mescal were all seated and attired in Gucci’s finest, of course, at the Gucci Cruise 2025 Fashion Show, in the Turbine Hall, which was lined with reflecting stools and growing grass patches fragrant with flowery plants. As Tirzah’s wonderful single “Devotion” played on the speakers, a mystical, enchanted aura permeated the arena, and creative director Sabato de Sarno dressed in mod rompers, wool check jackets, and fanciful daisy patterns inspired by London’s Swinging Sixties heyday. Creative director Sabato De Sarno paid tribute to the Swinging Sixties, his first resort collection since he took over in 2023.
“I owe a lot to this city—it has welcomed and listened to me,” the designer said ahead of the presentation. “The same is true for Gucci, whose founder was inspired by his experience there.”
Mark Ronson composed the show’s soundtrack, which began with the lulling ambient of musician Terza before transitioning into a variant of the Blondie classic, Heart of Glass, with the band’s frontwoman Debbie Harry in attendance. It ended with a performance of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power of Love.
De Sarno turned the gallery’s underground Herzog & de Meuron-designed ‘tanks’ into a blown-up terrarium, filled with a lush forest of about 10,000 different plants, providing a striking background to the exhibition. Sabato described it as a botanic ‘tapestry’, which will be donated to community initiatives in London following the event, including Life Under the Westway, an urban gardening project organised by non-profit Grow to Know that will rejuvenate West London’s Westway-adjacent Maxilla Gardens.
The plants chosen were picked for their capacity to thrive in tough and difficult settings, making them easily transportable to the numerous community gardening initiatives after the programme. Epimedium, Vinca, and Dryopteris thrive in shaded city gardens, while bigger shrubs and trees include Hornbeam, Parthenocissus, and Aesculus. In contrast, spring greenery is chosen to depict freshness and rejuvenation.
Although Ancora red and patent leather, De Sarno’s hallmark colours and fabrications, made a few cameos on the runway, pastels, tan suede, denim, and clean white billowy blouses are the feeling we’re all looking for this season. The use of embroidery to create geometric beaded designs, 3-D flowers, and lengthy sequin strands on denim exemplified the house’s exceptional craftsmanship.
For the Cruise 2025 display at London’s modern art museum, the House delved into its historical link to the city. Guccio Gucci, the House’s founder, moved to London in 1897 and worked as a porter at The Savoy Hotel. Energised by the city’s exuberant atmosphere, he went to Florence to create a travel goods business, hoping to tell the story of a new way of life through his bags. More than a century later, the idea of London as a location of cultural confluence remains valid, as do the similarities with the House’s ongoing journey of self-discovery, which constantly draws on historical pieces to support its heritage-inspired narrative.
The initial phase perfectly depicted Gucci’s put-together Tuscan principessa loosening up now that she’d arrived in London. Mixed wash denim trousers were worn underneath De Sarno’s tightly fitted outerwear (martingale-belted cabans, double breasted jackets) that were deformalized with matte brown suede fabrication. Pussy bow blouses fluttered from their necklines.
And, like the creepers from menswear, the jeans, a section of workwear popovers in poplin, and the oversized leather bombers seemed to be ideal candidates for a spring 2025 redux. High collared patinated leather short jackets were the focal point of a series of ensembles with three-way near-pastel colour stories, skirts, and matching handbag/shopping bag duos.
The collection featured jeans with a fluffy halo of intertwined hanging beads and a dégradé beaded embroidery of chamomile blooms. On following looks, these flowers became an all-over motif, as seen by a vent in one skirt, where the black-backed pattern on the outside was reflected in an equally worked yellow-backed organza counterpart in the interior. Extra hand-applied hanging pearls and studs were used to blur checks.
Classic British checks and plaids were given a fresh twist. A denim tunic layered over a flowing sheer, floral embroidered midi skirt and classic loafers offered a masterclass in unexpected pairings. Sleek leather pieces added a touch of edge, like colorful, buttery, embossed bomber jackets with flowing maxi skirts in monochromatic dressing.
Accessories took front stage, with structured bags in rich leathers such as a deep burgundy tote and clunky loafers in basic black. Statement pearl necklaces and colourful bows were a subtle tribute to Gucci’s more exuberant past without detracting from the clothes’ pristine lines.
Gucci’s signature style was employed to produce casual styles like oversized button-downs and patchwork pants that reveal lacy bralettes below. Dainty fabrics were prominent throughout the collection, particularly in translucent skirts and dresses adorned with circular designs. Clear organza took on dramatic shapes in pinks, greens, and blues, paired with checkered pea coats and larger-than-life crocodile leather bomber jackets in stunning sunset hues.
The cruise show concluded with finely pleated, ethereal garments that drifted down the runway. Finally, the mournful violin of De Sarno’s classic interpretation of Mina’s song “Ancora” was combined with Debbie Harry’s “ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh” from “Heart of Glass.” This was done to showcase the repaired Blondie bag (which Harry was in the audience to see) and to represent a shift in this designer’s initially rigorous technical environment.
Mark Ronson composed the show’s soundtrack, which began with the lulling ambient of musician Terza before transitioning into a variant of the Blondie classic, Heart of Glass, with the band’s frontwoman Debbie Harry in attendance. It ended with a performance of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s The Power of Love.
Daisy Edgar-Jones chose Gucci’s classic Ancora red handbag and teamed it with a brown leather ensemble to show how wearable it is.
Sabato de Sarno’s love letter to London is incomplete without the Blondie bag, a 1970s classic recreated in smooth leather and monogram finishes. The Gucci classic took on a life of its own, combining the brand’s trademark Horsebit gear into cropped outerwear that honours the label’s 70-year history.
De Sarno unveiled his most powerful collection yet, showcasing his ability to mix history, class, and elevation with contemporary urbanity while championing Gucci women for the future and beyond.
Alia donned a dark purple off-the-shoulder dress, black high heels, and a black leather handbag, with her hair in a smooth ponytail and a maroon lip. The actress is the first Indian worldwide brand ambassador for Gucci.
At the occasion, the Bollywood actor posed for photos with Hollywood icon Demi Moore, singer and actor Debbie Harry, Thai actor Davika Hoorne, and Korean star Park Gyu-young, renowned for K-dramas like Dali & Cocky Prince and Celebrity.
