A vibrant red light on the stage served as a precedent for what was to be Sabato de Sarno’s first collection for Gucci, a new era for the Italian house filled the fashion industry with great expectations at Milan Fashion Week.

It all started days before the show, as the city was wallpapered with the brand’s new signature burgundy red and the word “ancora”, which means “again” or “still” in Italian. Its double connotation laid the foundation for the designer’s relationship with Gucci. Sabato De Sarno is a child of the 90s. His early forays into fashion were underpinned by Tom Ford’s world domination. At Gucci, he wants to return that feeling through his renewed vision. “I want to fall in love with fashion, ancora. Still and again,” said the designer.

With a vinyl of “Show Me Love” by Robin S. and Mothers Favorite Child and a bracelet with the word “ancora” and the initials of each guest, Gucci summoned us at three in the afternoon, on the fourth day of Milan Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2024, in the Brera district, Milan’s fashion zone. With a small personal message from the designer on each seat closing with “It’s a story of everything, again, but this time expressed through joy”, the show began with ‘Late Night Feelings’ by Mark Ronson and ‘Loveher’ by Romy Madley Crof in the background.

The first look alone reveals the antithesis of the retro, eclectic Gucci we’ve come to know. This new narrative from the designer abandons classic Gucci flamboyance to inject freshness with simple cuts free of embellishment. From sixties-style baby doll dresses to lingerie slip dresses from the nineties, this new era is dominated by neutral tones, smooth textures, monochrome combinations with dots of colour and of course, revamped Gucci classics like the Jackie bag, the Bamboo and the Horsebit loafer.

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Photo: Filippo Fior / Gorunway.com

Gucci Ancora by Sabato De Sarno

It’s a story about joie de vivre, about humanity, about people, about real life; a story of passion, of irreverent glamour, of provocation, of confidence, of simplicity, of immediate feelings and emotions, of a concrete kind of art, of words; words in works of art, words in images, words in spaces; words, plain and simple. A story of richness and desire/lust, of red, but also of blue and green; a story of flashes, of spontaneity, of lights, of a party at dawn.

It is a story that is not hidden, a story that is proud, manifest, free of taboos – although at first glance they might seem necessary -, completely free and charged with euphoria. It is a story of wonderful and diverse people; it is a Getty Images of cool people of all ages, and it is inclusive in that everyone is welcome. It’s a story of cinema, of my beloved Italy, of intellectuals, of travelling the length and breadth of the world, but where you feel at home wherever you go.

A story of objects: shiny, tangible and cold to the touch, but warm to body and soul; coveted collector’s items, no longer for display in museums, but to enrich everyday life. It is a story of music and party nights, of sweat, of dancing and singing; a story of family, of kisses, lots of kisses. It is a story about everything, again, but now expressed through joy.