Gucci has never been a brand afraid of spectacle, and Demna’s highly anticipated debut at the helm of the Italian house has landed firmly at the centre of the cultural zeitgeist. Arriving as a surprise digital-first declaration of his intent was a lookbook titled La Famiglia shot by Catherine Opie. Why wait for the pomp of the runway? Instead, the designer placed narrative, immediacy, and strategic surprise at the heart of his Gucci vision.
The collection of 37 looks is framed around archetypal characters, each carrying a fragment of what Demna calls the “Gucciness of Gucci.” These are not anonymous models but figures imbued with personality: La Principessa, La Diva, Miss Aperitivo, La Contessa. Each portrait feels like a member of an imagined Gucci family, a cast that spans fiery temperaments, social media devotees, Milanese doyennes and glittering bombshells. The effect is less about a singular silhouette and more about multiplicity, a spectrum of identities reflecting Gucci’s reach.
Heritage runs through the collection like a red thread. Guccio Gucci’s origins as a luggage-maker are acknowledged in a monogrammed travel trunk, while the house’s most enduring signatures reappear with modern energy. The Bamboo 1947 bag is proportioned anew, the Horsebit loafer resurfaces with head-to-toe abandon, and the Flora motif is reborn in a darker, nocturnal palette. The GG monogram covers everything from lens to loafer, signalling an all-or-nothing approach.
Silhouettes oscillate between extremes. A feathered opera coat sits alongside transparent hosiery dresses. Glamour extends into menswear, where tuxedo codes are subverted into black-tie swimwear and sheer tailoring. Central to the spirit is what the house calls “dressing for pleasure,” an unapologetically sensual attitude that feels entirely in tune with Demna’s taste for provocation.
Strategically, this release is more than a stylistic statement. By fragmenting Gucci into a vast family of characters, Demna offers not a singular aesthetic but a framework that can speak to different consumer identities, each recognising themselves in the cast. The storytelling is as much about resetting the brand’s perception as it is about clothes.
Demna’s initial first act will be followed later this week in Milan by the release of a short film directed by Spike Jonze and Halina Reijn, which will no doubt extend the narrative further and set the scene for Demna’s full runway reveal in February. For now, La Famiglia signals a Gucci era that is daring, extravagant and rooted in reinvention. The house’s future will not be built on continuity but on a willingness to reimagine its legacy.
