GCDS FW24: toys can also be for adults

Why should kids have all the fun? Adults deserve toys too, and in the world of GCDS that means injecting the incomparable quality of Made in Italy products with pop culture influences.

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When Giuliano Calza announced his “Toys for adults” fashion show, everyone thought the season was going to be all about what is officially known as toys for adults; just go to Google and look it up and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. But, jeez, dirty minds! What Giuliano was about to offer was far from having anything to do with sex. Giuliano simply wanted to give us back our most prized possessions from when we were kids: our toys. And of course, in CCDS code.

This season, Giuliano refuses to let adults not have toys, so he adopted some of the icons of our childhood as the Polly Pocket, Hello Kitty and others a little more obscure as Oracle and Chucky, and gave them a new character, ready for adulthood. The space, lit to a minimum, was covered with blood red curtains that gave the appearance of latex. A piano at the end gave us clear suspicions that the music was going to be live. From GCDS’s friends like Sita Abellan, Anna Dello Russo or Bianca Balti to Mahmood, Tony Effe, Tyga and the Clermont Twins, no one wanted to miss the appointment with Giuliano.

The starting point is the purity and innocence conveyed by the color white. Sheer knitted ensembles reveal the body in its most natural form, underlined by delicate ruffles that evoke a sense of lost innocence. However, this innocence is quickly transformed into anticipation of femininity with the inclusion of a wedding dress with padded hips, challenging the traditional model to make way for a new beginning.

From the dress onwards, the palette dips into darker tones, awakening a latent sensuality. Babydoll dresses with the word “BABY” remind us of lost innocence, while robust wool coats and synthetic plush offer a sophistication increasingly present in GCDS universe. Leather tailoring and lurex miniskirts wink at adult sensuality, reminding us of our first forays into desire and attraction.

Details are crucial to the narrative. The famous killer doll, Chucky, with inseparable Good guy hammer as an accessory, is also woven as a motif into a custom jacquard on bags and sweatshirts, while Polly Pocket® graces the runway with its miniatures encased like treasures in different versions of the iconic Heart Bag. Morso shoes, with heels shaped like a snarling jaw, and the appearance of Dracula in a structured mini-dress with crystals, adds the dark touch to the collection. Hello kitty appears on every flower, and even on the bralette mats seen above the evening gowns.

“Toys for Adults” concludes with a floor-length, strapless, puffy structured dress, adding a touch of solemnity to a fun collection. In a world that often forces us to grow up too fast, GCDS reminds us of the beauty of keeping the spark of childhood alive while exploring its own path to adulthood with a more sophisticated approach.

For more on the Fall/Winter 2024 collections, click here.