GUCCI FW24: Sabato de Sarno’s debut in menswear

The first day of Fashion Week is always exciting, even more so if it’s the new beginning of a brand. Today it was the turn of a new starting point for the Gucci man. Sabato De Sarno invited us to Milan’s Fonderia Macchi to see his first men’s collection for the Kering group’s giant. The Fall-Winter 2024 men’s collection is a reflection of the Gucci Ancora narrative that began in September with the women’s collection; a continuation of the new story that the creative director began writing a year ago for the Italian house; “a story that is desirable to collect, not for a museum, but to enrich everyday life,” De Sarno describes it.

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Isn’t it time for men’s fashion to reach new sensibilities and forms of expression? Sabato de Sarno seems to find the answer by putting the Gucci man and the Gucci woman face to face. From the collection itself to the set design, the soundtrack by Mark Ronson to the casting, which is full of unfamiliar faces – 35 of the 56 models are showing for the first time – every element is a reflection of what we saw and the emotions we felt in September, albeit this time from the perspective of men’s fashion.

Though with a new approach, Gucci continues to highlight the craftsmanship of the house’s iconic pieces. A long, narrow tie hangs around the neck in many looks, while the nights of partying, sweating and dancing that De Sarno speaks of are materialised in the rhinestones that invade everyday pieces such as trousers and jackets. At the same time, the GG monogram has been reinterpreted from a new, more contemporary perspective. Applied on leather, wool or cotton, it appears slightly off-centre and with a shaded effect, creating a sense of depth.

“A story of richness and lust/desire, of red”, in which gloves, backpacks and bags take centre stage through the colour that the new designer rescued from the archives to give it a new life. The Gucci Rosso shade is brought to life again on the catwalk, not only in accessories but also in tailoring elements such as suits and jackets, as well as jumpers. “blue and green, of flash, of spontaneity, of light”, renewing the mood of the Gucci man, who plays with cold and warm contrasts.

Back to last season’s reflection of the Gucci woman, the moccasins, the House’s great protagonists throughout its history, evolve through the same approach. If last time they reached new heights thanks to the big platforms, here they are inspired by creepers with crepe rubber soles, giving a punkier version to a classic. The Jackie bag with the carabiner clasp taken from the House’s archive also reappears in a larger version, unlike the Marina Chain necklace, which is reduced in size.

“It’s a story of everything, again, but this time expressed through joy.”, De Sarno concludes in his note. In short, the same old Gucci, but with a new look; like a new beginning, like a new start. A starting point that – why not – begins by making men happy in their daily lives, and is capable of changing their destiny through a new way of feeling, formal and irreverent in equal parts; with unprecedented glamour, but free of prejudice.