Gucci Resort 2024 was… eclectic. But we aren’t mad about it
Gucci Resort 2024 landed this week on the 16th of May. The luxury brand touched down in Seoul, South Korea, for its resort show and camped in the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace.
Skirting the sides of the square on Tuesday, guests looked out across the display of flashing lights mismatched in tempo with a thunderous score – no doubt an intended bold entrance for a bold new beginning. Giant bows sat over ‘GG’ logo print jackets, finished with pearls, knee-high boots, floral earrings, and clutch bags – it was undeniably eclectic. Others held skateboards and surfboards, but generally, the unified Gucci DNA felt lost. “The random bow placements in the Gucci resort collection? Usually love bows, but these designs seem so out of place…” say online fashion fans. “This Gucci resort is everything but Gucci,” say others. The general consensus is confusion, especially regarding the graphic printed tees (a kitten paw catching a butterfly?).
However, in Gucci’s defence, this feels like they are on the cusp of a new era. There are elements to this Resort collection that are less disjointed than they originally seemed at first glance. Take the silhouettes for example, which feel younger and fresher. The high neck, sleeveless top with mid-length low-waisted skirt is very ‘it’ girl coded, with the additional layering of various chainmails, oversized chunky sunnies, and riding-style boots. It’s a new kind of Gucci, one that eventually had to move away from the 70s aesthetic figure-headed by the likes of Harry Styles. The brand, whilst once coining a new age and appeal within the modern day market, would eventually corner itself as a the brand that does big collars and flared trousers, and any fashion house navigating the market right now has to constantly reinvent itself to stay financially relevant.
Alessandro Michele, the previous creative director who left last year, brought high art and androgyny to the brand, with elements of fantasy and surrealism. In October 2021, sales growth dropped below analyst expectations at 3.8%, with Kering shares underperforming compared to other luxury counterparts like LVMH and Hermés. Michele subsequently departed. Their last collection, FW23 RTW, focused on detailing with embellished ‘GG’ bras and clasp detailing. It was all about the block colours and embellishments, centring on bags and shoes. This Resort 2024 brings through these elements and a lot more thanks to the design team, perhaps with an effort to cover all bases and reinstate Gucci profits.
In Seoul, there were bits of Miu Miu, Dior, and even Ferragamo in the designs and the zip on one high neck is emulating Prada through and through. Yet, it also immediately reads Gucci with the choice of patterns and colour matches. Playing with the waistlines and different shapes has saved this collection from feeling overcrowded, with a special shoutout to the zip-up grey top with a bomber-style skirt that sits on the hips. The oversized shirts with red trousers and the all-white look with bejewelled trousers and bow tops broke up the collection with some much-needed monochrome relief.
It felt, at times, overwhelming to even watch. The slew of models in various bright colours with graphics, embellishments, bow attachments and patterns meant each look was detached. But taking a step out of the action, this is not the disaster Gucci fans think it is. This is the new era of the double ‘G’ Italian house away from Alessandro Michele and onto De Sarno. Low waistlines, new silhouettes, and evidently, an abundance of new ideas
