That Cruise collections, born with the purpose of providing a wardrobe suitable for escapes to exotic destinations during winter, have long since lost their original focus to become one more creative spectrum of a fashion house, we know well. And Gucci is no exception in confirming this trend. Demna chooses New York as the setting for the show, but not just any corner of the Big Apple: Times Square, the world’s most famous square and the human crossroads that never sleeps, an emblem of the frenetic dynamism of contemporary society. Already this choice moves us quite a bit away from the relaxed atmospheres of a mid-season buen retiro to catapult us into the midst of the everyday, into the most rampant hub of a life that never stops. A deliberate choice, because Demna’s goal is precisely to decode reality through an extreme of it, bordering on the parodistic.
The prelude to the show is in the name of grandeur: scenes from La Dolce Vita, frames of seaside vacations in the most classic Italian imagery, glimpses of Venice and its canals, as well as images of glossy eroticism, between underwear and chiseled bodies, flow on the large screens surrounding the square. With guests such as Mariah Carey, Lindsey Lohan and Shawn Mendes, as well as Kim Kardashian and singer Ghali – protagonists of a reciprocal presentation – the fashion show kicks off through a series of trailers that tell the essence of Guccicore, almost as if they were ADVs anticipating the release of a film. From eau de Gucci to chocolate, via cars, watches, high jewelry and even a pet section dedicated to animal friends, each spot seems designed to tell the brand’s identity in a powerful communicative operation that wants to impose itself without ifs and buts.
The show opens with a riot of slim-fit tailoring: office-core remains a fundamental key to the collection, among pinstripes, translucent total blacks, functional backpacks and maxi bags. Once again, Demna chooses to give life to characters, to real human types, ranging from the furred lady to the clubber, building prototypes we had already glimpsed since her debut at the fashion house. Seventies scarf dresses, navy-style mini coat dresses, total denim and black leather ensembles define his vision, carrying on, in fact, the same narrative already seen in Fall/Winter 2026. This time, however, the impact is decidedly less than in the runway debut.
The evening segment, too, between asymmetrical cuts and plumage, appears monumental but, all in all, meager: of the series, nothing new on the horizon. And a stellar cast on the catwalk-from Gabbriette to Paris Hilton, via Emily Ratajkowski, Tom Brady and Mariacarla Boscono, to a Cindy Crawford on the finale-is not enough to make it truly memorable. It is a show that is undoubtedly monumental in form but evolves little in substance.
The Guccicore imagined by Demna certainly echoes a precise imagery, but the question remains as to how far this really manages to translate into a convincing collection. The risk is to get bogged down in stereotypes that are all too recognizable, or worse, already obsolete after just one season. Sure, there is no shortage of desirable garments, as well as accessories, but the whole-despite the spectacular outline-doesn’t seem quite up to expectations. Perhaps we would need something else to speak to us as well, because even Times Square fails to bridge the risk of predictability.
[📸 IPA; Shutterstock / Snapix; Getty]
