Inside London’s hottest fashion event
For his first Gucci Cruise collection, Creative Director Sabato De Sarno is returning to where it all began. Gucci is, of course, an Italian brand through and through. But the origin of its conception can be traced back to London. It was here, working as a porter at the Savoy hotel in 1899, that Guccio Gucci was enthralled by the opulent lifestyles of guests with luxurious luggage sets and travel bags, and he became inspired to start his own leather goods and luggage company.
This set the scene for Gucci’s great return to the iconic city for its Cruise 2025 show. I was lucky enough to secure a ticket to the event, held at London’s Tate Modern, and was thrilled to be dressed by the brand.
I rocked a short patent leather trench coat in the deep burgundy Rosso Ancora hue (that’s quickly becoming a signature of De Sarno’s tenure). Channelling the brand’s trademark sleek sophistication, I teamed it with a Gucci Jackie Notte Mini bag, Signoria slingback pumps and statement square-frame sunglasses in the same shade.
In this post, I’m going to review Gucci’s new offering for Cruise 2025, delving deeper into De Sarno’s inspirations and looking at the show’s key themes and trends which are sure to influence my holiday wardrobe and beyond.
“I like taking something that we know and breaking away from its rules” – Sabato De Sarno
This sentiment really encapsulates De Sarno’s latest collection for Gucci. Familiar house codes – sharp tailoring with plenty of edge, dreamy colour palettes, a focus on wearability, handbag icons and brand signatures – reimagined for the modern Gucci muse.
A fresh approach to minimalism. For Cruise 2025, the Gucci woman is as fearless as ever but with a penchant for understated glamour. The show’s opening look cemented all of the Gucci style codes we know and love – sunglasses, sophisticated tailoring and an ode to ‘70s chic. Throw in a pussy-bow blouse (more on this later) and the kind of effortlessly stylish baggy jeans that us fashion fanatics live in, and the mood of the collection was set. Sleek, cool and ready for anything.
De Sarno’s take on modern tailoring is sharp and fresh with a focus on wearability. Oversized single-breasted pea coats were a focal point of many looks. Worn with micro shorts (yes, these aren’t going anywhere), they signalled the designer’s desire to shake up routine styling rules. One large burgundy leather jacket looked like it was worn sans bottoms, hitting the model’s upper thigh where you might expect a mini skirt to finish. It was styled with wide-rim sunglasses and a Blondie bag (a revived iteration of the popular style first launched in 1971) in the same shade. The look was finished with Horsebit loafers sitting on a chunky ridged sole.
