“I owe a lot to this city”, said Sabato De Sarno, Gucci Creative Director, as he chose the riverside Tate Modern gallery to showcase the Italian giant’s Cruise 2025 collection. Gucci returned to London after 2016, where the brand’s founder, Guccio Gucci, found his inspiration more than a century ago. “To explore a creative direction is to bring yourself into an already-existing space and show it through your eyes,” De Sarno explains. “We choose London for the Cruise show, knowing that was the right choice.”
De Sarno’s vision for the Gucci Spring Summer 2025 collection is Englishness with an Italian accent. Rigour, extravagance, strength, and delicacy are woven throughout the collection, creating a dynamic interplay of ideas and aesthetics. Exploring the dichotomies, De Sarno said, “Fashion design is a means to study, explore, interpret,” De Sarno notes. “I like taking something that we think we know and breaking away from its rules, taking it as far as it can go without ever distorting it.”
The collection features short coats tailored in gabardine with sharp precision, juxtaposed with wild chamomile flora motifs. These motifs are brought to life with 3-D laser-cut organza, hand-assembled, and hand-moulded shaped sequins, creating a soft, organic movement against the structured tailoring. Outerwear combines chiffons, ruffles, and lace with the robustness of tailored gabardine, while traditional British elements like tartans and plaids are shown with a fresh perspective. Plaids are transformed into delicate embroidered bead fringes, paying homage to British style while infusing it with the boldness of Gucci’s Italian heritage.
The collection features horse-bit details across suede, paying tribute to Gucci’s equestrian roots. The iconic lobster clasp is reimagined as a feminine pearl necklace, blending function with decoration and serving as a badge of belonging. The models are seen ditching the heels and wearing ballerinas and creepers, blending workwear with street style. Drawn from Italy in the early 70s, the Gucci Blondie bag in leather or toile is a standout piece. Its emblematic logo is leather-clad or enhanced with techniques from Gucci’s jewelry craftsmanship, colliding preciousness with pragmatism. The collection underscores the importance of craftsmanship, with embroideries, tailoring, and leatherworking that cross cultural boundaries. “Craft and fashion can unify, crossing culture – they help create a new form of universal language, a shared human vocabulary,” De Sarno asserts.
By intertwining personal experiences, historical inspirations, and modern innovations, De Sarno has crafted a collection that pays homage to Gucci’s storied legacy and sets the stage for its future. Furthermore, the brand has entered into a three-year contract with the gallery to promote Tate’s work amongst young aspirants.
Here are a few more images from the collection.
