17 May 2026 |
Demna sure knows how to make a statement.
If there’s one place New Yorkers avoid like the plague on a Saturday night, it’d be Times Square. Only Demna and his Gucci resort 2027 collection could bring a group of cynical fashion folk to the maligned tourist destination with smiles and looks of wonder on their faces. The idea alone is commendable — to shut down several blocks of one the busiest streets for the days leading up to the event is an immense feat unto itself. But then to also take over the surrounding billboards? Brilliant. As guests waited to take their seats inside Father Duffy Square, videos that promoted real and fictitious products ranging from underwear to perfume to high jewelry to pet accessories, and more blared overhead. Serving as a reminder that Demna views his tenure at the brand as not just about clothing but a lifestyle and identity, this was the kick-off to what he dubbed GucciCore, the fourth act following La Famiglia, Generation Gucci, and Primavera.
As the front row, which included the likes of Kim Kardashian, Mariah Carey, Lindsay Lohan, and NYC nightlife staples Susanne Bartsch and Lady Bunny, filtered in to find their seats, the screens suddenly went dark. They roared back to life as the first look walked down the runway, offering any tourist within the area a real time view of the show. Opening with a sharply tailored suit, Demna posited GucciCore as a reflection of its location. If Times Square is the crossroads of the world, his collection is the intersection of the types of the people who populate this area. Said shiny black suit was followed in quick succession with versions in fuchsia, pinstripe, and classic gray — glamorized takes of stereotypical finance folk, thankfully without a fleece vest in sight. Tailoring recalled both 90s minimalism and 80s excess, with a blazer dress slit up to the thigh worn with a faux fur as a highlight.
From there you found Demna’s take on ladies who lunched, wearing faux shearling and fur tossed over denim, catsuits, printed chiffon dresses, and leather separates. Other models appeared as if they were running from the nearest bodega, complete with giant bouquets of flowers tucked under their elbows. Skater kids in wide legged denim came next as well as the party girls, with their dramatic eye makeup and low rise leather pants. Towards the end were duvet stoles that swallowed the frame as well as bandeaus that riffed on the classic Gucci web stripe. And to finish, what else but evening-ready tailoring and gowns? Using beaded fringed, feather embroidery, and plenty of sequins, it served as a dramatic end.
To emphasize his point, Demna yet again chose a cast that reflected the archetypes in his runway show. You had nightlife legend Sophia Lamar, socialite and Y2K icon Paris Hilton, Tom Brady, and to close, Cindy Crawford. Given that we were mere blocks away from Madame Tussaud’s which features wax figures of some of the notables in attendance, it seemed like yet another nod to the location. New York, being the home of Gucci’s first store outside of Italy (it opened in 1953), was the main character of the night and Demna wasn’t afraid to embrace it in all of its multitudes.
