WE’VE TAKEN A MINUTE TO PROCESS DEMNA’S "DEBUT", LET'S TALK ABOUT IT.

Demna’s Gucci walked this past week, presenting his SS27 collection, stating in the manifesto that this is his “first collection in which I present my complete personal vision for the brand”. Titled The Store Show, the runway took the casual form of a Gucci boutique, and the models skulked and strutted through the aisles of cushions lined with celebs.

The show opened with the menswear collection. Well-tailored, sleek, and effortless suits evolved into the grunge-classic style we have grown to love with Demna. The brand’s consistent signatures were prevalent throughout the collection. Horsebit hardwear could be found adorning belts, shoes, shirt collars and bags. As Demna says, Gucci always finds a way to “absorb the present and evolve, without losing any of its recognisable codes”. Each look bounced off the last, adapting itself to a new theme; stiff shirts were traded for striped rugby shirts, and the blazers grew into full, drop-shoulder coats. As the second act of looks emerged, they took on the classic Demna feel. The makeup got grungier, and so did the fashion. Black leather and hoods shrouded the models’ faces as they escaped the rain from outside. horsebit became bulky chains, and the glasses only grew from there.

The next wave was the classic Gucci Woman. There were callbacks to Gucci's origins in horse-riding outfits, with a 2000s-popped collar and statement sunnies. Strikes of colour emerged from the monotone outfits in force, and fur became a force to be reckoned with. Yet this isn’t new for Demna or Gucci; it's a reinvented silhouette that is a guaranteed hit. The women’s wear ‘second act’ had a similar evolution to the menswear; starting with the chic equestrian Gucci woman from the past, Demna bit the brand with an infectiously vampiric glamour, which trickled through a beautifully styled chapter of kilts and into the slinky draped evening gowns wrapped in a plumage of fur as the sun came up. One critique is that I wish the style evolutions had more time to develop, and instead of being confined to one show, I'd love to see Demna stretch this design into a more novelistic brand reinvention. I would love to see Gucci's dark side explored further in Demna's future collections.

The show was a beautiful collaboration between Demna's innovative mind and the brand’s rich history. Placing the show in a boutique replica gave the guests an intimate connection to the pieces and subconsciously placed them as if they were already shopping the collection. I really loved the salon-style set design; however, it would’ve been elevated if the store were functioning, with the models shopping and trying on the collection’s pieces as they debuted. It would’ve been exciting to place items around the runway with the models, adding to their initial looks and leaving as the new ‘Gucci Woman’. Demna’s first ‘complete personal vision’ for the brand has ushered in a new era for Gucci, whilst honouring the brand’s past and looking to the future. Some pieces were, in all honesty, predictable for the designer; however, that is what we have come to know and love about him. The kilts were a breath of fresh air, but I wish that there was a stronger continuation of this ideation, looking ahead to what’s next.