Demna’s Gucci Debut
Demna Gvasalia, founder of clothing brand Vetements and creative director of Balenciaga from 2015-2025, was recently appointed creative director of Gucci in July of 2025. He recently launched Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2026 pre-collection campaign, marking the start of a bold new era for Gucci. La Famiglia goes beyond just a display of clothes; it is a beautiful visual and cinematic experience.
Images via W Magazine, Vogue, and The Denizen.
The new creative director presented a portrait of thirty-seven different characters modeling the different debut looks to showcase, in their words, “the Gucciness of Gucci.” Each character has been labeled a different name, for example, ‘L’influencer’, ‘Bastardo’, ‘La Snob’, ‘Primadonna’, ‘It Girl’, and more. Each character appears to be revealing one of the many personas of La Famiglia.
While the concept of showcasing multiple identities is new to Gucci, many of the house’s classic motifs remain, as Demna’s way of proving he fully understands the history and culture of the house he is now directing. Showing that he can easily create the “classic Gucci” look. He adds, however, his own contemporary twist.
Gucci’s roots as a luxury luggage company are reintroduced through a monogrammed travel trunk, iconic pieces such as the 1947 Bamboo bag, and the Horsebit loafer are reimagined. Throughout the collection, the GG monogram appears multiple times, reinforcing the maximalist, all-encompassing vision of Gucci’s identity. Gucci’s classic floral print is transformed through a darker color palette, signaling a new edge for the house, rather than a complete transformational shift.
I love how the designer went in completely head-first, taking his role on with a bold start. Rather than waiting to display his work on the runway, Demna decided to release this pre-collection, which he intends for people to interpret as an appetizer before the official debut of his tenure in March.
He is introducing a new vision for Gucci. An edgier aesthetic that I think his La Famiglia concept is showcasing beautifully. Through this “unofficial” debut, he, again, wants to signal to his audience that he knows the ins and outs of Gucci, before he showcases his completely unique take on Gucci during Milan Fashion Week. Until then, I’m curious to speculate what we’ll see on the runway!
