BEHIND THE SCENES: GMBH SS25
Photography by Miriam Marlene
WE´LL ALWAYS HAVE LONDON – GUCCI CRUISE 2025
The Gucci Cruise 2025 fashion show is envisioned through the creative lens of Sabato De Sarno, Gucci’s Creative Director. Drawing from his own memories and reflections on various places, people, and ideas, De Sarno crafts a new narrative that intertwines Gucci’s rich heritage with his personal experiences. This unique blend reflects a profound connection to the city and its culture.
Hosted at the iconic Tate Modern in London, the show takes advantage of this public space known for bridging diverse cultural exchanges and fostering unexpected encounters. This setting echoes the historical significance of The Savoy hotel for Guccio Gucci, where a century ago, similar inspirations led to the birth of the brand. The Tate Modern’s architecture symbolizes modernity, reimagined as a functional frame for art. For this event, the raw concrete Tanks are transformed into a lush, poetic panorama of greenery, merging the indoors with nature. This juxtaposition of man and nature, sentimentality and minimalism, embodies the duality of London and life itself, a theme reflected throughout the collection.
“To explore a creative direction is to bring yourself into an already-existing space and show it through your eyes, working from room to room with the goal of reshaping the building again. We choose London for the Cruise show, knowing that was the right choice. I owe a lot to this city, it has welcomed and listened to me. The same is true for Gucci, whose founder was inspired by his experience there. The House’s return is driven by a desire to be immersed in its distinctive essence, its creative driving force with its limitless capability to put together contrasts, make them converse, and find ways to coexist. Today we are here to celebrate that spirit. Tate Modern is the perfect cross-section to narrate the city’s essence, with its great Turbine Hall that welcomes and gathers everyone, and with the Tanks, generators of ideas.” Sabato De Sarno
On May 13, 2024, the Tate Modern will become a stage for exploring and interpreting fashion. Sabato De Sarno aims to reveal a more romantic and contradictory side of his artistic vision, pushing the boundaries of familiar elements without losing their essence. He seeks harmony in opposing forces, creating a balance between them.
The collection showcases dichotomies: combining rigor with extravagance, strength with delicacy, and English tradition with an Italian twist. It captures our experiences of a city and its culture, expressed through the clothing we wear. Traditional dress codes are subverted to provoke thought, with short coats in technical gabardine exhibiting sharp precision, contrasted by wild chamomile floral motifs that add a soft touch. These floral embroideries are elevated with 3-D laser-cut organza, hand-assembled or shaped sequins that move freely around the body. The outerwear’s protective and precious feel is contrasted with chiffons, ruffles, and lace, merging evening elegance with everyday practicality.
“Fashion design is a means to study, explore, interpret. After having expressed my ideas of desirability and sensuality, this is another piece of me, more romantic, more contradictory. 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. Bringing it towards its opposite and finding harmony.” Sabato De Sarno
The collection thrives on the tension between different ideas, ideals, and identities, celebrating individuality. By twisting archetypes and challenging preconceptions, the sartorial blends with workwear, and street style intersects with salon elegance. Fragility transforms into toughness, exemplified by the iconic lobster-clasp reimagined in a feminine pearl necklace, serving both functional and decorative purposes. Horsebit details on suede honor Gucci’s equestrian heritage, while relaxed denim and flat shoes—ballerinas and creepers—transform gestures and shift perceptions. British style symbols like tartans and tailored designs are reinterpreted and revitalized for a new generation, with plaids transformed into delicate beaded fringes, animating their graphic shapes. The Gucci Blondie bag, inspired by Italy in the early ’70s, blends preciousness with pragmatism, featuring a leather-clad or jewelry-inspired emblematic logo.
This collection showcases the intricate artistry of embroidery, tailoring, and leatherworking, unifying craft and fashion across cultures. It creates a new universal language and shared human vocabulary, celebrating the intersection of craftsmanship and creative expression.
