At Demna's Suctioned, Sculptured New Gucci, It's Sex He's Selling

"It's oddly striking to see a show that actually reflects what a wider culture finds attractive, rather than the echo chamber of fashion. Everyone still synonymises Gucci with sex, with undressing rather than dressing, as spectacularly instigated by Tom Ford when he transformed Gucci from a minor heritage Italian brand churning out bloated licensee fodder to an era-defining fashion force 30 years ago."

"Demna's mood thus far is a gentle retrospective to those dressing-free salad days - the Tom Ford-era white on black label has been reinstated, alongside a pheromonic whiff of the era's unapologetic sex appeal. At 44, that's precisely what Demna himself remembers of Gucci."

"The mononymic designer released a statement, ahead of the show, stating he plunged into the brand's archives in Florence, alongside the Uffizi (natch) and Michelangelo's David (of course). More myth-making. History was an important thing, for sure."

Demna's Autumn/Winter 2026 collection for Gucci marks his creative directorship debut, though two prior collections and campaigns already exist. The collection evokes Tom Ford's transformative era from 30 years ago, when Gucci shifted from a minor heritage brand to a fashion force defined by sex appeal and undressing aesthetics. Demna reinstated the Tom Ford-era white-on-black label and embraced the period's unapologetic sensuality. At 44, Demna personally remembers this Gucci era. The designer drew inspiration from the brand's archives in Florence, the Uffizi, and Michelangelo's David, constructing a faux-colosseum setting with marble and heroic statues. The collection reflects actual cultural attraction rather than insular fashion world preferences, grounding itself in Gucci's constructed mythology and Italian heritage traditions.

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