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For Demna‘s second collection since being appointed creative director, Gucci’s Pre-Fall outing arrives not as a traditional show, but as a clever piece of fashion storytelling: a lookbook shot by the designer, presented as imagery from a runway that “never happened”.
Generation Gucci, as it’s titled, is less a seasonal drop than a study in the House’s visual memory and layered legacy. “Generation Gucci represents Demna’s ongoing research into archival codes across different eras of the brand’s history,” read the collection notes. “It combines different generations of product and imagery into one aesthetic narrative, anticipating his personal vision for the house, which will be revealed in February.”
References come thick and fast. The darkened backdrop, slick silhouettes and smoked-out makeup channel peak Tom Ford, while the unapologetic femininity of Frida Giannini and the maximalist eccentricity of Alessandro Michele also mingle with each other. Yet, despite all the callbacks, the former Balenciaga designer is clearly building something new.
The collection opens with featherlight tailoring in archival silk faille with an intentionally “aged” handfeel. Womenswear fastens with barely-there clasps rather than buttons or statement hardware, and pencil skirts are teamed with ultra-slim trousers. Minimal jeans hide seams and closures entirely, while wetsuits inform glossy bodycon leather jackets. Party pieces—think draped miniskirts, silk blousons, lingerie-adjacent slips and femme fatale eveningwear—lean into languid, 90s sensuality.
Heritage signatures are knowingly remixed, including racer jackets featuring a sliced Double G buckle, equestrian silk prints, and head-to-toe suede that recalls the luxe glamour of the 70s. Further down, footwear is pared back to sleek lines, from Valigeria-inspired ballerinas to spike-studded loafers and pumps with exaggerated details.
Handbags were also a key moment, with the Jackie 1961 morphing into relaxed, shrunken forms, the Dionysus becoming angular, and the Lunetta Phone+ proving that even chainmail can be practical.
