Inside Gucci’s quest for older, richer customers. The new CEO is making the trendsetting label more understated. When Gucci’s flagship store reopened last month, it no longer displayed the opulent baroque opulence that had defined the brand in recent years. Instead the look is decidedly more minimalist, elegant and understated. Gucci's new Creative Director De Sarno is following Alessandro Michele who, had shocked the establishment with a very strong, cutting-edge identity, but disconnected from Italian tradition. In contrast, De Sarno showed off garments with impeccable shape and finishes a touch of Italianness. An opportunity to explore a less stereotyped vision of Italian culture and fashion; and with De Sarno's profound knowledge of historical fashion he is reinventing Gucci. He began his career at Prada, as a pattern maker, to continue - for fourteen years - at Valentino, where he eventually became director of men's and women's design. Gucci is shifting gears to focus on the over 40s, a change in direction that follows a 10 percent drop in quarterly earnings in the final three months of 2020.
Gucci's direction towards "Italianness" is highlighted by the beautiful new range of accessories. Beautiful necklaces, which recall "the Roman jeweler Mario Masenza and wonderful bracelets designed by Canilla", favored - among others - by couturier Simonetta Visconti, "who talks about them in her memoirs and the very elegant bags. An Italian fashion taste that many seem to have forgotten by many but not De Sarno.
The new Gucci Ancora bag designs drew inspiration from the brand's archives, updated with softer leather, refined hardware, and straps. The colour Bordeaux, now referred to as Gucci Rosso, dominated the palette, especially in leather and accessories.
Write a comment