Show Notes: Gucci Fall/Winter 2024 Womenswear Collection
The sophomore women's collection by new Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno expanded on his vision of short, sharp, and sensual things.
When: February 23, 2024
Where: The sun-soaked warehouse of the historic Fonderia Carlo Macchi on the outskirts of Milan, where Gucci also showed its men's Fall/Winter 2024 collection last month.
The takeaway: This marks the second women's collection by Sabato De Sarno, who was appointed as Gucci's new creative director in 2023. The Italian designer's sophomore effort built on the easy chic and "get sh*t done" energy from his first collection, opening the 55-look collection with a belted coat dress paired with short shorts.
The designer is not one for over-conceptualising, as some of his peers are known to do; he prefers to make clothes for real-life (if glamorous) people. "Capture the extraordinary where the ordinary is expected. My dreams, as with my fashion, always converse with reality. Because I am not searching for another world to live in, but rather of ways to live in this world," states the press notes.
De Sarno certainly has a way of elevating the ordinary; the outerwear is clearly one of the stand-outs of the collection - think boxy peacoats, parkas and overcoats with hems festooned with ombre paillettes and sequins. The designer appears to prefer building an ongoing narrative - he continued the leggy silhouette he introduced last season, pairing micro tailored shorts with formal jackets and long coats, and the platform kicks from Spring Summer 2024 remained (this time in pumps instead of loafers). Pants were non-existent at the show, though De Sarno says they will be sold in stores when the collection hits retail.
He expanded on the nightwear section, sending out slinky lace and velvet slip dresses that will likely appear on a red carpet soon, anchoring them with thigh-high or over-the-knee boots that nodded to Gucci's equestrian heritage.
The looks we're eyeing: There was a noticeable emphasis on accessories, especially bags. Most eye-catching was a new top-handle, half-moon style (looks 1, 2, and 3) that was reportedly inspired by the equestrian motifs found in the Gucci Archive, as well as a cute miniature bucket bag that came with the maison's signature bamboo handles (looks 19 and 20). We'll take all the stompy equestrian boots too, as well as the exceptional outerwear, such as Look 23's patchwork leather coat.
The looks: