Demna Doubles Down on ‘Gucci-ness’ for His Gucci Runway Debut

2 min read

Last year, while visiting Gucci HQ in Florence, Demna dropped into the Uffizi to see “Primavera,” the Botticelli painting that the house drew on for its Flora motif. While there, he happened across another one of the artist’s famous works, “The Birth of Venus.” Though the 15th-century painting might seem like an unexpected inspiration for the ultimate internet-era designer, it led to a realization about how much the Renaissance influenced everything he knew about aesthetics.

“Above the product, Gucci is culture, it is a way of thinking and a way of being,” the designer wrote in a statement before today’s Milan Fashion Week show, which was also his official runway debut for the house (after several shows in other formats). “Gucci needs to become a feeling. Gucci must become an adjective.”

So, just how Gucci was his outing today? Molto. He opened with a skintight white minidress that bared the model’s leg tattoos—Basic Instinct by way of Bushwick. The looks were sensual, a bit flashy, and skewed late ’90s, with some affectionate shoutouts to the Tom Ford era. He had fun with logos, from double-Gs on belts to logoed tights and belt bags to green-and-red stripes on pants and even dyed into a model’s mohawk.

A kind of maximal minimalism seemed to be on his mind, epitomized by slick, skinny suiting and low-rise trousers with daring cutouts. More OTT moments could be found in sheer, glittering lace sets. A hit of the Flora print brought in a touch of the “Primavera” inspiration. And unsurprisingly, accessories were a focus, from the Jackie bag to pointy pumps and a gold chain-link necklace that dripped down the chest.

Some major model moments were also in store: Emily Ratajkowski in a skintight minidress, a goth-glam Gabbriette, Vivian Wilson making a rare runway appearance, and to cap it all off, an insouciant Kate Moss in a sequined column gown with—in true Gucci fashion—a built-in G-string.

Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.