No more guesses, speculations, and rumours are necessary. Gucci has officially released the debut collection by newly installed artistic director Demna and it's perhaps not quite like what you'd expect of the Balenciaga alum.
Instead of a runway presentation for the Spring/Summer 2026 show season in Milan, Gucci dropped the collection in a lookbook format. Named "La Famiglia" (essentially "family" in Italian), the Spring/Summer 2026 collection serves both as a teaser to Demna's vision for the Italian fashion house as well as a lead-up to his official runway debut in February 2026. "La Famiglia" opens with L’Archetipo, a monogrammed travel trunk that pays homage to the House's travel and luggage heritage, before showcasing 37 womenswear and menswear looks with each representing an archetype of Gucci's many different personas. There's the Direttore dressed in more classic Gucci tailoring and a timepiece, and the Ragazzo della porta accanto that's a Demna take on how the Gucci boy-next-door is imagined to be. It's difficult to ignore that he undoubtedly took notes from past creative heads of the House, paying homage to the distinct aesthetics conceptualised by Tom Ford (Narcisista) as well as Alessandro Michele (Nerd).
Most importantly, this new Gucci era truly embodies that Italian sprezzatura, especially in its menswear. There's a cool, effortless ease in the overall styling with designs rarely overtly branded with Gucci motifs. The GG monogram, Guccio Gucci's initials, and the Horsebit appear rather tastefully throughout the collection and almost never clashing together excessively.
Those who were expecting a Balenciaga by Demna 2.0 may be sorely disappointed by the lack of oversized proportions, heavily distressed denims and other gimmicks. But there are still semblances of Demna-isms, such as the Figo look that's not unlike the supposed "leak" by his husband Loïk Gomez. The core messaging of "La Famiglia" however, is a renewed focus on storytelling with respect to the brand's heritage while recontextualising it for the contemporary. And we daresay, this looks to be quite a promising chapter for the House.
