The big one we’ve all been waiting for is here, as new creative director Sabato De Sarno debuted his first collection for the House of Gucci. Here’s everything you need to know.

GUCCI REMIXED A 1993 CLUB CLASSIC FOR ITS INVITES

If there’s one thing we can always expect from Gucci, it’s a next-level invite providing an OTT first look at what’s to come from the runway – just see its AW17 invite, where A$AP Rocky read out Jane Austen’s Persuasion for guests to stream, the Cruise 2022 invites, which gifted each member their own personally-named star, or 2023’s Cruise show’s meticulously crafted traditional South Korean invitation. This time around, with all eyes on Gucci as Sabato De Sarno presents his first-ever collection at the label, Gucci teased its SS24 collection by gifting guests a remixed, vinyl copy of Robin S.’s 1993 club track “Show Me Love” – plus, a gold bracelet with the Italian word “Ancora” which means “again”. 

THE FROW WAS UNSURPRISINGLY VERY MAJOR 

@dazed Moments from the frow at @Gucci 💥 @Bad Bunny and @Kendall Jenner at the #Gucci #SS24 show in Milan ✨ #DazedFashionTV #TikTokFashion #Runway #MilanFashionWeek ♬ sonido original - ꜱᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ

Unsurprisingly, De Sarno really drew in the crowds with his first show, with swathes of kids lining the streets outside the Gucci Hub show space hoping to get a glimpse of their faves [School? What school?]. Piling in to the venue to take their seats on the FROW came Paul Mescal, Julia Garner, and Julia Roberts, as well as Troye Sivan, who forgot his dress socks, Halle Bailey, who showed off a necklace her boyfriend bought her, and I’m just Ken himself, Ryan Gosling. Finally, as everyone settled down in anticipation of kick-off, in walked Kendall Jenner and rumoured [official?] boyfriend Bad Bunny. 

THE LABEL RELEASED A COFFEE TABLE TOME DEDICATED TO ITS RUNWAY DEBUT

Besides plastering red “Ancora” posters, billboards, and projections across Shanghai, Napoli, New York, Seoul, London, Tokyo, Firenze, and Bangkok [did we mention that Gucci loves a pre-show production?], the label ushered in its new era with the release of GUCCI PROSPETTIVE 1: MILANO ANCORA – a coffee table tome dedicated to its SS24 runway. Revealing Sabato’s interests in merging art and fashion within his work on the brand, the book – which was curated by art director Stefano Collicelli Cagol – provides a love letter to Milan’s cultural and artistic history by featuring the works of recent graduates from Milan’s fine art uni, Accademia di Brera. Celebrating the book’s launch, Gucci has unveiled a new Milan exhibition showcasing the works of featured artists Cristiano Rizzo, Martino Santori, Noura Tafeche, and Valerio Eliogabalo Torrisi. The exhibition takes place at Via Fiori Chiari 5, Milan and is open to the public until September 23. 

SABATO LEFT A PERSONAL NOTE ON EACH GUEST’S SEAT

As guests entered the showspace, they were greeted with a personal note from Sabato himself on each chair, revealing an early glimpse of the upcoming debut. “It’s a story of joy of life, of passion, of humanity, of people, of real life, of irreverent glamour, of provocation, of confidence, of simplicity, of immediate feelings and emotions, of a specific type of art,” the creative director wrote, conjuring-up a series of rich imagery to represent SS24’s biggest inspirations: a party enduring on until daylight, cool kids posing for snapping Getty images photographers, sweaty nights dancing, kissing, and [of course] Italy. With guests dripping in the showspace’s dark red-lighting, Sabato’s message provided much-anticipated hints at the runway to follow.

NO, IT WASN’T A TOM FORD REDUX

The rumours were rumouring throughout fashion in the weeks and months before the show, with many predicting De Sarno would lean into the Tom Ford archives and turn out a super-sophisticated, sexy retort to the years of maximalism churned out on Alessandro Michele’s watch – not least because the designer’s first campaign for the house seemed to confirm the idea. On the day, though, the rumours were unfounded, with De Sarno debuting a clean, cute collection cut through with slivers of sexiness. In fact, while De Sarno’s first collection was all his own, if anything, it felt more keyed in to Frida Giannini’s era.

Swinging pinafore dresses in sugary shades of pale green and peach – some trimmed with ostrich feathers, others covered in glittering Swarovski crystals – were layered under boxy cropped jackets in hi-shine stripes, while sexy semi-see-through polo tops were tucked into high-waisted flares. The lingerie-influenced section was one area to write home about, with vinyl slips in black and devilish scarlet trimmed with lace and dipping dangerously low on the back. Outerwear came trimmed with long, dramatic tassels that oscillated as the models stormed through the space, while chunky platforms came high and sturdy, bags in bright sweetie-wrapper colours, and stilettos encrusted with layers of crystals that swept across the floor with each step.