The first collection of Sabato De Sarno has arrived. Much anticipated, it sets the tone for a new Gucci style that intends to write a new chapter after the departure of Alessandro Michele.
The parade can have an air of reinvention. Such was the case with Gucci, which took place in Milan this Friday September 22nd. The Florentine brand, the flagship of the Kering group, has written the beginning of its new chapter with Sabato De Sarno, which was appointed in April, to everyone’s surprise, a few months after the noisy departure of Alessandro Michele. Unknown to the general public, but no less established in the field, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault decided to entrust the task of taking over the artistic direction of one of the most important luxury brands. in the world. The task was made more difficult by the fact that the label had been impressively transformed and overhauled by its predecessor. In seven years, Alessandro Michele has imposed his luxe style, his waxy moccasins, his androgynous silhouette, his bright pants, his big florals and busy prints on handbags. A subversive creation that put the brand back on the chessboard of the most desirable labels and managed to forget the jet-set tag attached to it. This eccentric bias has done commercial wonders in China. Until the pandemic, 2020, when Gucci’s sales started to slow down.
In this context, Kering wants changes. Sabato De Sarno is here for that. What does it matter if the general public doesn’t know this young Neapolitan who trained at Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, and a long way up, Valentino? The luxury group recalls the dazzling results that followed Michel’s appointment to the same position eight years ago. He was also a shadow designer. Sabato De Sarno began writing the new Gucci style by deleting all posts from the brand’s Instagram page, followed by 52.3 million people. Then we saw some photos of former Celine star model Daria Werbowy posing nude by the pool in jewelry from the new collection. And a word, “Ancora” (again), that De Sarno had tattooed on his arm the day he signed for Gucci. It will also be the name of his first collection. His message. “Gucci is an opportunity to fall in love with fashion again.”
Time-honored dressing room
The designer wanted to throw the dice in broad daylight on the streets of Milan’s bohemian district, Brera. The rainy weather decided otherwise. the show was moved to the brand’s headquarters in Milan, a vast bare hangar in the dark. This made it possible to refocus attention on the clothes and maintain the most popular front row of Milan Fashion Week. Despite the strikes in Hollywood, the Gucci show attracted Julia Roberts, Jessica Chastain, as well as Paul Mezcal and Ryan Gosling. While regulars like Dakota Johnson, Jared Leto and Harry Styles were absent this season. Gucci style is now written in another celebrity palette. And a radically different fashion vocabulary.
No more excess, no more crazy prints. In order to continue to seduce Generation Z, this coveted and fickle target, Sabato De Sarno has adopted an effective wardrobe in keeping with the times. The Italian wants to get right down to business. So make way for timeless styles, pure elegance and sensual details. The first look, a long black coat worn with micro shorts, a white shirt and a gold necklace, sets the tone. Accurate, perfect cut and “safe” colorimetry, which is part of the wardrobe classics (white, gray, beige, burgundy, brown, etc.). Slip dresses, combined with large coats, impose a casual and elegant style. The skirts are straight, high-cut, the drape is perfectly controlled, which shows a certain know-how in the cut of the clothes. There is no doubt that his Prada and Valentino legacies are evident here, two houses where the designer cut his teeth. Playing the short card with micro shorts and mini dresses, Sabato De Sarno shows that here too he knows how to change the desires of this popular Gen Z. Just like the classic Gucci moccasins, which she enhances with a platform sole, or the bags, which she combines with delicious obviousness in this everyday wardrobe. The creator presented here the first notes of his score with a precise and much desired vision. We understand that this is only the beginning.
Source: Le Figaro
