Demna has debuted his first looks for Gucci, where he was announced as creative director in March of this year. (Demna replaced Sabato DeSarno, who was at the brand for less than two years and most critics say never really found his footing.) We won’t call this his first collection per se – that will come in February – but instead 38 looks that showcase the direction he wants to take the brand: “unapogoteically sexy, extravagant and daring.”
The lookbook, photographed by Catherine Opie, shows different personalities, like the It-Girl, La Bomba and the Introvert –which Demna is calling the “Gucci famiglia” – each with a distinct look. The looks include a blue faux fur coat with puffed-up sleeves, a sheer evening dress in the Gucci logo print, a shrunken leather jacket worn with low-slung jeans and a silver tube party dress. It’s Gucci with a real dose of glamour and also humor; the Gucci men’s bikini will surely make people chuckle. Things are fitted on the body and very accessible, chic, and glam, but the attitude doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s how people want to dress. The color palette is also pared back and straight-focused, a clear departure from what we saw from DeSarno.
Demna, who had been at Balenciaga since 2015, defined the look of the brand over the last decade. The designer became known for his tailored looks, often playing with proportions and tapping into celebrity culture, selling a $1000 bag that looked like a shopping bag, dressing Kim Kardashian in a one-piece at the Met, and collaborations such as ones with cult-favorite luxury grocery store Erewhon.
If this is the first offering from the brand, we are excited to see what comes in February. See all the looks, here.