Gucci celebrates ‘freedom’ under new creative direction at Milan Fashion Week

Gucci embraced its move away from maximalist ex-creative director Alessandro Michele, honouring ‘freedom’ in the label’s spring/summer 2025 show in Milan.

Sabato De Sarno – who became the Italian fashion house’s new creative director last year after taking the reins from Michele, who has now moved to Valentino – aimed ‘to create an atmosphere of intimacy and ease’ in his new womenswear collection.

Michele, 51, famously made eccentric maximalism cool during his tenure at Gucci, with ‘grandpa chic’ and 2010s twee saturating his collections.

However, this eccentricity, which was central to Gucci’s former era, was undeniably absent in De Sarno’s Milan show.

Themed ‘freedom’, the collection blended the sophistication of city living with coastal relaxation, traversing dress codes by combining sharp tailoring with beach-inspired tank tops.

An array of stars took up seats on the front row to admire the highly anticipated collection, including Hollywood’s Jessica Chastain, Dakota Johnson and Daisy Edgar Jones, and Bridgerton stars Nicola Coughlan and Hannah Dodd.

Attendees wore a muted palette with pops of plum – the show’s signature colour – whilst incorporating heavy textures through suede, croc and denim.

De Sarno took Gucci in a new direction by moving sharply away from Michele’s iconic Gucci motifs – such as the Jackie bag and red and green stripes.

Instead, the designer debuted some new and more pared back styles, such as the Gucci B bag (a slouchy, saddle-style shoulder bag), and chunky gold jewellery.

Utilitarian workwear was fashioned into tracksuits, and flowing toga-style dresses dominated the runway.

De Sarno also introduced bold gold accessories in the form of bangles and arm cuffs to accent his lightweight dresses.

The design choice was evocative of Tom Ford’s previous spring/summer collection, suggesting a more sultry and sophisticated direction for Gucci womenswear.

The colour palette was muted, but bursts of cherry and lime (or ‘brat girl summer’ green, as some know it) in the form of bucket hats and maxi trench coats added exciting accents to the collection.

Greys, chocolate browns and blacks anchored the show whilst vibrant reds and greens flowed throughout, blending the serenity of the sea with the fun of the city – overall creating a fresh yet familiar feel for the label.

The show’s eveningwear included tasselled A-line overcoats and shimmering disco dresses, evoking the vibe of a chic members-only yacht party.

The show was not without edge, however. Models also donned biker gloves and slim leather jackets, paired with silk bandanas.

De Sarno has certainly given Gucci a renewed sense of versatility. Departing from the avant-garde flamboyance of Michele, his collection was free in both design and spirit.

Polished elegance was balanced with light-heartedness, suggesting a sophisticated but fun future for the label.

De Sarno closed the runway by bounding down the catwalk, blowing kisses and hugging people along the way. If the show offers one takeaway, it’s that Gucci is embracing a fresh new era.