Sabato de Sarno’s first menswear collection 2024
Alessandro Michele’s maximalism was replaced on the Milan menswear collection catwalk, by Sabato de Sarno, with sharp suits and bulky knitwear.
Sabato de Sarno brings a new era of pragmatism for Gucci with his first menswear collection
Gucci‘s new creative director, Sabato de Sarno, has ushered in a new era of pragmatism following nearly ten years of nostalgia-infused maximalism.
The location provided the first hint as to how Sabato De Sarno’s debut Gucci menswear show would play out: A large industrial box, similar to the setup from his womenswear debut show in September of last year. Then, De Sarno had to make last-minute changes to his plans due to inclement weather, as the show was originally scheduled to happen outdoors. Now that he had a second chance, he chose to do a reprise. It seemed to be saying, “focus on the clothes,” without any drama or distraction.
In terms of what the clothes said, they carried on the narrative that De Sarno had begun in September. Almost exactly replicating the collection’s opening statement, the first look featured a long black coat with a white tank-top cut low on the chest, paired with loafers, a statement necklace, and a red shoulder bag. He received pants and creeper soles, whereas she wore hot pants and flatform soles.
After making his womenswear debut in September, de Sarno unveiled his first menswear collection at Milan Fashion Week on Friday afternoon. His Gucci aesthetic marks a dramatic break from the nostalgic glamour of his predecessor Alessandro Michele, which dominated much of the second half of the 2010s.
A more overtly sensual wardrobe featuring chunky knitwear paired with satin bomber jackets, trench coats, and clean-cut suits with the Gucci monogram and unbuttoned satin shirts replaced the sequined jumpsuits and corsage-adorned corduroy. Rather than the opulent grandeur of the past, pops of sparkle appeared in the form of chokers, vests and pants embellished with diamante.
Sabato de Sarno about his first menswear collection:
“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, of words”
A line of practical luxury clothing with far greater commercial potential and wider appeal makes sense. Gucci owners Kering are presumably hoping de Sarno, who previously worked at rival luxury powerhouses Valentino and Prada, will be the one to lead Gucci back to the kind of profitability they enjoyed in recent years.
The focus on leather goods, the area where luxury houses turn a profit, was also prevalent. Here, the majority of the models wore the Jackie bag, which was originally created in 1961 and then reimagined by creative director Tom Ford in the 1990s—a decade that is currently capturing the interest of Generation Z. When it wasn’t, a bumbag or rucksack with a monogram was being carried.
Menswear and womenswear were shown together in Michele’s collections, which famously blurred binary stereotypes. However, de Sarno has returned to showcasing the two collections at different times of the year, however with a shared sentiment. He said, “It’s a story of music and nights out, of sweat, dancing, and singing,” when describing this collection. The words “It’s a story of family, of kissing, lots and lots of kisses” were included in the show notes for womenswear as well. Despite this, both sets leaned more towards moderation than carefree abandon.
Gucci is in the throes of re-establishing itself after the retirement of Michele in 2022 and its long-term CEO Marco Bizzarri the previous year, who collectively drove the company towards sales of nearly €10bn between 2015 and 2022.
The company is reorganising its operations under the leadership of new interim CEO Jean-François Palus. One such plan is to relocate a sizable portion of its design studio from Rome to Milan, which sparked employee protests in November and the first creative professionals’ strike in Gucci’s 102-year history.
Conclusion: Sabato de Sarno brings pragmatism with his first menswear collection, presented last friday during Milan Fashion Week.
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