(Milan) The artistic director of Gucci, Sabato De Sarno, called to the rescue by the French giant Kering to revive sales of its flagship brand, unveiled on Monday a new men’s collection combining Italian artisanal luxury and freedom of movement.
In a minimalist setting, the models strolled inside the immense entrance hall of the Triennale museum in Milan, under the gaze of visibly won over guests, first and foremost the CEO of Kering, François-Henri Pinault.
Centerpieces of the collection, mid-length leather coats topped with a small collar, available in pastel colors like apple green or pink, with long slits in the back and fitted with high vertical pockets.
The Gucci show was particularly anticipated by fashionistas on this fourth day of Men’s Fashion Week, focused on the spring-summer 2025 collections.
The cuts are precise and refined and the materials are soft, giving pride of place to leather, poplin and silk.
The stylist brings the omnipresent wearing of shorts up to date, to be combined in town with double-breasted jackets or shirts in the same tone worn over them, or even with long coats. Note the burgundy leather shorts, Gucci’s iconic color, to wear topless.
On the beach side, loose shirts are decorated sometimes with beaded fringes, sometimes with embroidered flowers, and feature prints of banana leaves, surfers or even dolphins.
“This collection is about encounters between the city and the beach, and between people who love life. Finally, she talks about freedom,” the stylist commented.
“I feel free when there is no distance between my words and my thoughts, between my actions and my heart. I hope people feel free and comfortable in my clothes,” he added.
The 41-year-old Neapolitan designer’s rather sober shows are the polar opposite of the exuberant shows to which fashion fans were accustomed by his predecessor Alessandro Michele, who was appointed creative director of Valentino in March.
“I am a designer who looks at real life, I like clothes that stay and become one with people, not those designed for the red carpet,” Sabato De Sarno further explained.
The stylist, who spent fourteen years at Valentino after a stint at Prada and Dolce
For months, the French luxury group has been trying to turn around the brand, which represents 50% of its sales and two-thirds of its operational profitability.
In the first quarter, Gucci saw its sales fall by 21% to 2.1 billion euros, weighed down by a slower-than-expected recovery in consumption in China.
The brand known in particular for its python bags and belts is very dependent on an Asian clientele who are fans of “trendy” products. However, the Asian luxury market has not regained its vigor before the coronavirus pandemic.
And fans are getting impatient, because Sabato De Sarno’s collections are only gradually appearing in stores. They are expected to represent 30% of the new offer in stores in June and the entirety in the third quarter.
