GucciCore chapter 4: The Cruise collection

It becomes clearer with every collection that Demna delivers for Gucci that he is telling one continuous story. If I remember correctly from my English lit classes in school, there are five necessary elements to tell a story: character, setting, plot, problem, and theme. The creative director has spent the year introducing us to his character through La Famiglia, Generation Gucci, and, of course, his debut runway collection, Primavera. Now, Demna has given us a setting. Welcome to New York City in the ’80s.

Demna is a storyteller; there is theatre in everything he touches. This means the sets have to be as grandiose as the messaging he’s trying to convey. Where better to encompass the vivacious spirit of NYC than Times Square? There was speculation as to where the show would be, since we were told it would be top secret until the day of the show. Canal Street, maybe? Calling back to the Primavera collection’s knockoff references?

Alas, it was Times Square. If you ask any New Yorker about Times Square, they’ll look at you with pure disgust as you prepare yourself for the rant of a lifetime. Nobody likes Times Square unless you’ve never been to Times Square. And maybe that’s the point—nothing brings New Yorkers together quite like complaining about how much they’d rather NOT be in Times Square.

So, the story begins there. Before the show began, the 50‑foot LED screens played a video montage combining found footage of both real and fictitious products from the brand. Gucci has a long and detailed history in NYC, starting with the Gucci Galleria, a space hidden above the Fifth Avenue flagship, accessible only to clients who carried a specialised golden key. But this exclusivity couldn’t last forever. With the likes of Dapper Dan and all his disciples, everyone who wanted a piece of that horsebit was going to get it.

This is what this collection exemplifies.

NYC, as the setting, lends itself to the garments. From Madison Avenue to Brooklyn, SoHo to Harlem, and Fifth Avenue, New Yorkers are NOT a monolith, but their cocktail is what makes the city so mammoth. Businessmen in pinstripe suits followed by slouchier tailoring and softer denim, fur coats, and collars on the women who could never slacken their appearance, come hailstorm or heatwave. But this collection feels tighter; it doesn’t carry the same dishevelled look from his previous collection. Though rough at times, the ’80s were sleek, and tailoring was king, and this season reflects that. The silhouettes feel bolder and broader. We saw recurring faces, the characters we’ve been introduced to, blending in as seamlessly as they would walking down any street in the city. And the one thing they all have in common? They really wish they didn’t have to be in Times Square.

It’s telling of the current state of his characters, who serve as Demna’s reflection of today’s youth. In this chapter, the tone is set, aspiration meets irritation. That’s city life.